Mount Etna's ash closes Catania airport for fifth day, stranding travelers

Mount Etna's ongoing volcanic activity has closed Catania airport, Sicily's largest, for a fifth consecutive day, stranding hundreds of summer holiday travelers during the busiest travel week of the year, France 24 reported. The airport will remain closed until early August 15, according to the outlet, while Al Jazeera said flights would be suspended until at least Saturday afternoon.

The eruption, which has sent lava and volcanic ash down the volcano's slopes, has disrupted travel across the island at the peak of the summer season. Deutsche Welle reported that Catania airport suspended flights again as Etna continues to spew lava and ash. The New York Times noted that tens of thousands of travelers' plans have been disrupted in the past week, adding that while Etna erupts often, it usually does not release this much ash, according to an expert quoted by the paper.

The closure has turned a regional transport hub into a bottleneck for the Mediterranean tourist economy, with holidaymakers facing cancellations and rebookings at the height of the Ferragosto weekend, when Italians and foreign visitors alike are on the move. The Local Italy forecast heavy traffic across the country for the weekend, compounding the travel chaos.