The airport, located south of Mount Etna, said the ashfall had made the runway too risky to use.
Flights would resume when “safety conditions are restored,” the flight operator posted on Facebook.
Explosions could reportedly be heard in the nearby town of Adrano and Biancavilla to the southwest and lavic ash was also reported to have fallen in the same area and in Catania, further south.
People in Catania and 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 3300 metres high, the volcano is one of the highest in Europe.
AAP
