Etna's ash cloud grounds flights, stranding Tuscan holidaymakers

Mount Etna's continued eruption has forced the suspension of flights at Catania airport in Sicily, disrupting travel for thousands during the peak summer holiday period, according to Deutsche Welle. The volcano has been spewing lava and volcanic ash, with the New York Times reporting that hundreds of flights have been canceled over the past week and tens of thousands of travelers' plans disrupted.

For Tuscany, the impact is felt acutely. Many of the region's summer visitors — and a growing number of residents with second homes in Sicily — rely on Catania as a gateway to the island's eastern coast. With the airport closed, holidaymakers are facing extended stays or complicated rerouting through Palermo or Reggio Calabria, a logistical headache that ripples through Tuscany's tourism-dependent economy.

The eruption has also drawn flocks of ill-equipped tourists to the volcano's slopes, prompting safety warnings from local guides, The Local Italy reported. The spectacle of lava flowing down the mountainside has become a draw in itself, even as authorities urge caution.