Etna's Ash Cloud Disrupts Summer Travel Across the Islands

Mount Etna has continued to erupt in Sicily, sending molten lava, rocks and ash down its slopes as hikers watch nearby, according to the Guardian. The Italian volcano, Europe's most active, has forced Catania airport to suspend flights again, disrupting travel during the peak summer holiday season, Deutsche Welle reported.

The New York Times reported that hundreds of flights have been cancelled in Sicily as Etna releases an unusually large amount of ash. An expert told the paper that while Etna erupts often, it usually does not release this much ash. Tens of thousands of travellers' plans have been disrupted in the past week.

For Sardinia, the disruption is more than a distant spectacle. With Catania serving as a key gateway for Mediterranean island-hopping, the closure has ripple effects on regional travel patterns, though the Sardinian airports of Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero continue to operate normally.