Flights resume after Mount Etna eruption forced airport closure

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Sicily's Catania airport reopened to flights on Monday, after a one-day closure due to smoke and ash from nearby Mount Etna, airport authorities said.

Operations resumed at 9:00 am local time (0700 GMT), the airport said in a statement, while cautioning there could still be delays.

On Sunday, authorities said "copious amounts of volcanic ash on airport surfaces" prompted the closure of the airport on Sicily's eastern coast.

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A heavy cloud around Etna's summit made it impossible to see eruptions, but loud rumbles could be heard in the region, local media said.

At 3,324 meters, Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years.

A plane at Catania international airport is covered with volcanic ash following Mount Etna's eruption. /Instagram @victorienjoy via Reuters

Around 10 million passengers last year transited through Catania International Airport, which services the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.

The volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. The last major eruption was in 1992.

Cars in the city were covered in a layer of dark gritty dust, images in the Italian media showed.