Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
All arrivals and departures at the island hub, Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, will be suspended on 14 August, airport operator SAC said in a statement late on Wednesday.
Passengers have been advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
The prolonged restrictions come at the height of the summer holiday season, affecting thousands of passengers and placing additional pressure on Sicily's other airports.
Mount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport. Its operator launched the sale of a stake of at least 51 per cent in May.
Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association, said Etna's current activity, which began on 6 August, is more energetic than previous episodes and has continued at a sustained level.
"This suggests that deeper, gas-rich magma is playing a more active role, making the fragmentation process more efficient and leading to increased ash production, which is severely disrupting air traffic to and from Catania airport," he added.
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