Flights were cancelled on Monday morning at Catania airport in Sicily due to an eruption of Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, airport authorities announced
Flights in and out of the airport were suspended until 13:00.
Catania airport was also forced to close in May this year due to another eruption.
Rising to 3,324 metres (10,000 feet), Etna is Europe's tallest active volcano and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has erupted frequently over the past 500,000 years.
Last year, around 10 million passengers travelled through Catania International Airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.
