Sicily's Catania airport remained closed on Friday for the fifth consecutive day due to ongoing volcanic activity at Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, with authorities extending the closure until at least 02:00 on Saturday. Dozens of incoming and outgoing flights have been cancelled, stranding passengers and causing significant disruption during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The airport's website confirmed the extended closure, while Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said it could not yet predict when the volcano would calm down. The institute's director noted, however, that activity had shown a slight decrease. Etna, which rises more than 3,300 metres above sea level on Sicily's eastern coast, is one of Europe's most active volcanoes and erupts multiple times almost every year, producing large plumes of smoke, ash, and in the current episode, flows of molten lava down its slopes.

Airlines have scrambled to find alternatives for affected passengers. Dutch carriers KLM and Transavia announced they are diverting flights where possible to Palermo's airport on the island's northwestern coast, with passengers then transported overland to Catania. Travellers originally scheduled to depart from Catania are being rebooked onto available alternatives with other airlines, though the peak holiday season and limited capacity have made options scarce.

Despite official safety warnings and the visible dangers of the eruption, tourists have continued to travel to the area to witness the spectacle, raising concerns among local guides. The combination of rising ash plumes and lava flows has made Etna both a hazard and a draw, underlining the complex tensions between public safety and the volcano's status as a major attraction for visitors to Sicily.

For stranded travellers, authorities are advising passengers to check with their airline shortly before departure to confirm whether their flight is operating, as the situation remains fluid and subject to rapid change depending on volcanic activity.