Flights gradually resumed on Friday at Catania Airport in Sicily after a brief halt due to the eruption of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, whose ash had disrupted the airspace.

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Clearing the runway of ash was necessary to allow departing flights to resume. The airport‘s operating company stated that the number of incoming planes is currently limited to two per hour.

Mount Etna, which stands at 3,324 meters, has erupted repeatedly in recent years. In recent days, its central crater has emitted lava flows and ash clouds, affecting visibility at Catania Airport.

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On Thursday, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported that ash columns had reached a height of 4.5 kilometers. Photos shared on social media showed streets in central Catania covered in a thick layer of black ash, causing traffic delays.

Catania International Airport is one of Italy’s main airports, serving the eastern part of Sicily, a popular tourist destination, with millions of passengers passing through annually.

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Italian authorities have issued a red alert for the Stromboli volcano, whose eruption has produced thick clouds of ash.

The volcano is located in the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, with a summit rising 920 meters above sea level and a base 2,000 meters below sea level. Stromboli is one of the few volcanoes in the world that is almost continuously active.