A KM Malta flight that was due to land at Fontanarossa Airport in Catania was forced to turn back because of a crane parked on the runway.
The flight, KM640, left Malta at 6.05am and was scheduled to arrive in the Sicilian city at 6.45 am, but began making its way back to Malta at 6.25 am.
According to Italian news website Ansa.it, the company that runs the airport, Sac, announced that the airport was closed to all inbound and outbound flights on Thursday morning, before then reopening.
The cause of the disruption was reportedly a crane that was being used to carry out works, but which got stuck on the runway overnight.