“Due to Mount Etna's eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the areas corresponding to the southwest aerial cloud (sector C1) have been closed”, the airport said in a statement. “Arrivals are suspended until 5:00 PM.”

“We urge passengers not to travel to the airport without first checking the status of their flight directly with their airline.

“The situation is being constantly monitored, and updates will follow based on the evolution of volcanic activity and weather conditions.”

Arrivals to Catania airport were briefly suspended on Saturday morning due to the ash cloud, but operations resumed the same afternoon after Etna's volcanic activity alert level was downgraded from red to orange.

The National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology, which monitors Etna, on Sunday afternoon said its video surveillance images showed “continued explosive activity” and “abundant ash emission” from the volcano.

The institute’s aviation alert code for the airspace around Etna was at its highest 'RED' level on Sunday evening.

At 3,324 metres (nearly 11,000 feet), Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and has erupted frequently in the past 500,000 years.

Around 12 million passengers transited in 2024 through Catania International Airport, which services the eastern part of Sicily, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations.