British tourists stranded as Mount Etna ash shuts Sicily airport - with one facing a seven-hour drive to catch flight home

Flights from Sicily's Catania airport have been suspended amid ash emissions from Mount Etna, affecting British holidaymakers on the island. Authorities have extended airspace restrictions after a fresh wave of volcanic ash, disrupting travel during the peak holiday season. It follows six days of ash emissions from the island's volcano.Airport operator SAC said air traffic would remain suspended until Thursday afternoon, after aviation authorities prolonged the closure of the affected sector of airspace around eastern Sicily.Airlines operating flights between Catania and the UK include British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air.And one holidaymaker from London, stranded in Catania, told the Daily Mail he's been forced to make alternative plans after having four flights cancelled over the last five days.'We were due to fly home last Friday,' he said, 'but when we got to the airport we found out our flight was cancelled as the airspace was closed. The airport was busy, packed and hot and there was little info - people were just getting information on their phones.' Satellite imagery shows smoke spreading from Mount Etna in Catania Stranded passengers wait at the terminal following the closure of Vincenzo Bellini Catania airport due to an ash cloud from Sicily's Mount Etna eruption After returning to the city, he captured images of the ash, which even created a layer on tables in his accommodation. Others in Catania have echoed this, with one writing on Reddit: 'I was in Catania yesterday... there is ash on the street, on their cars and everywhere... people are used to this and carry on with their usual activities. 'My wife collected a large pile of volcanic ash just yesterday. Goes to show how far the cloud can reach.'After days of trying to rebook his flight, the Brit decided to rent a car and make the seven-hour drive to Naples, where he has booked a new flight. He said: 'If you want to get home now, you have to get off the island and drive to Naples or Rome. There will be another wave of flights cancelled.'Other holidaymakers have also been caught up in the disruption. One wrote on Facebook today: 'We were due to fly from Catania to Leeds-Bradford with Jet2 at 1pm. They put us on a bus at Catania airport at 9am and drove us to Trapani. Our flight now departs at 6pm.'Another said: 'We were stuck the day before yesterday when we were supposed to fly back to Belgrade. We checked out of the hotel and then waited at the reception the whole day for the airport to reopen but then yesterday Air Serbia sent buses to take us to Palermo airport and they flew us back home from there.' One holidaymaker shared footage of the smoke coming out of Mount EtnaOne traveller heading from the UK posted this afternoon: 'I’m scheduled to fly out tomorrow afternoon to Catania from Luton. Apprehensive as to whether there’ll be changes made to our flight.'Catania-Fontanarossa Airport's website says: 'Due to Mount Etna’s eruptive activity, the closure of Sector B3 has been extended, resulting in the suspension of arrivals and departures until 4pm tomorrow, August 13.''Passengers are advised to check the ​status of their flights with their airlines. Further updates will follow ⁠in the coming hours,' SAC said in a statement.Travellers have been scrambling for alternative options, with one saying on social media yesterday: 'Our flight from Bristol was cancelled this morning while we were on the plane.'So, so upset - and no flights to Sicily available until Wednesday. We have had to completely rebook everything (cost €200+ so far) and have made plans to go to Paestum/Pompeii/Naples instead.'But we will get to Sicily - just not via Catania airport as it’s too close to Etna.'The impact of the latest eruption was felt beyond Sicily, with flight cancellations and significant delays reported overnight in neighbouring Malta as volcanic ash drifted south across the Mediterranean.Conditions appeared to improve on Wednesday, although Malta International Airport continued to warn passengers of possible disruptions. Ash collected on tables outside in the city of CataniaMount Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, frequently disrupts operations at Catania airport.It is Sicily's main gateway and Italy's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic.Travel disruptions have affected eastern Sicily since last week, when ⁠renewed volcanic activity and shifting winds began carrying ash across the region.The prolonged restrictions at Catania have placed additional pressure on Sicily's other airports during one of the busiest periods of the tourist season.Palermo Mayor Roberto Lagalla said 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. The main airport in Catania was extremely busy as a result of cancelled flights An image from Tuesday showing smoke and lava erupting and flowing from Mount Etna volcano during the eruptionDemand 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.This comes after it suspended flights on Tuesday evening due to ash from Mount Etna, Italian news agency ANSA reported on Wednesday.