Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania have been halted after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, bringing fresh travel woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport.

The 3330-metre high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island.

The lava flow subsided before dawn, but ash was still coming from one of the craters.

Flights to and from Catania, a popular tourist destination, would be suspended until 8pm local time on Monday (4am Tuesday AEST), the airport said.

Catania Mayor Enrico Trantino banned the use of motorcycles and bicycles in the city for the next 48 hours, because many streets were covered in ash, and ordered cars to drive no faster than 30km/h due to the conditions.

The latest cancellations at Catania airport, which attracts more arrivals than the island’s capital, Palermo, came a month after a fire at a terminal building led to weeks of disruptions for passengers.

The last major eruption was in 1992.

-Reuters