The ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing volcanic activity has grounded air travel at Catania airport, with flight suspensions extended until early Friday after a week of widespread cancellations and diversions.

In a statement released late on Wednesday, airport operator SAC confirmed that all inward and outward flights at the Sicilian travel hub - Italy’s fifth-busiest by passenger traffic - will remain halted until 2am local time on 14 August.

Travellers have been urged to confirm the status of their journeys directly with airlines prior to heading to the terminal.

Occurring during the peak summer holiday season, the extended shutdown impacts thousands of passengers while heaping extra strain on alternative airports across Sicily.

Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla said earlier this week that the city's airport had absorbed 190 flights originally scheduled to arrive at or depart from Catania in recent days.

Some passengers rerouted to Palermo complained of inadequate assistance with ‌onward transportation, as demand for buses and taxis surged following ​their arrival. Extra traffic has also caused delays at ‌Palermo airport, operators said.

Comiso airport, ⁠a smaller facility south of Catania that has also ⁠been used in recent days to absorb traffic, has returned to full operations after ‌suspending flights on ​Tuesday evening due to ash from ‌Mount Etna, Italian news agency ​ANSA reported on Wednesday.

As Europe's highest and most active volcano, Mount Etna regularly causes operational disruptions at Catania airport, whose operator launched the sale of a stake of at least 51 per cent in May.

Marco Viccaro, president of the Italian Volcanological Association, noted that the current activity which began on 6 August is more energetic than previous episodes and is continuing in a sustained way.

"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.

The volcanic eruption has also caused issues for other countries, including Malta.

A statement on Malta International Airport’s website dated 11 August confirmed that it was experiencing “flight disruptions” due to Etna. The small Mediterranean island is located 220km south of Etna. Passengers were advised to check the status of their flight before travelling to the airport.