An eruption of Sicily's Mount Etna sent ash and lava gases high into the sky on Thursday and forced nearby Catania airport to cancel all flights in and out.

Officials said the runaway had been rendered unusable by ash particles that had settled on the airfield.

What the airport said

"Due to the eruptive activity of Mount Etna and the simultaneous emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, [the] runway is unusable due to a significant fall of volcanic ash on the airfield, and therefore, both arrivals and departures have been suspended," the airport officials said.

"Flight operations will resume once the flight infrastructure conditions are restored." 

The airport also said it was unclear when the airport would once again be fully operational.

"Passengers are therefore urged not to go to the airport without first checking the status of their flight with the airline."

Houses and streets around Catania were covered in dark gray dust.

Flights were also halted earlier this month because of a cloud of ash and smoke.

Millions of passengers pass each year through the Catania airport, which serves the eastern part of Sicily with tourist sites such as Syracuse and Taormina.

Near-constant activity for millennia

Etna — the largest active volcano in Europe — stands at about 3,350 meters (just over 11,000 feet), although its height can vary with eruptions.

The volcano, which is constantly monitored, erupts regularly and draws large numbers of spectators when it does.

The Italian Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) has been reporting increased seismic activity in the area since the start of July.

Etna has been in a near-constant state of activity for thousands of years. In Greek and Roman mythology, the gods of blacksmithing Hephaestus and Vulcan both had their forges under Mount Etna to produce lightning bolts for Zeus and Jupiter.

rc/dj (dpa, AFP)