Mount Etna in Sicily erupted on Sunday, spewing ash on the city of Catania and forcing a suspension of local flight operations.
The airport, located south of Mount Etna, said the ashfall had made the runway too risky use. Flights would resume when "safety conditions are restored," it wrote on Facebook.
People in Catania and the nearby town of Adrano shared photos of cars and roads covered in ash.
There were no reports of damage or injuries.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology recorded increased activity starting in the early hours of Sunday. As a precaution, civil protection authorities raised the alert level for the area.
Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world with frequent eruptions, both large and small. At more than 3,300 metres high, the volcano is one of the highest in Europe.
