Ethiopia volcanic eruption: Flight operations affected; no impact on weather, air quality

The IMD and the civil aviation ministry said they are closely monitoring the situation.

New Delhi: Flight operations were impacted on Tuesday as ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached parts of India but it had no impact on the weather or air quality, officials said.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said they were monitoring the situation, as some flights were delayed or cancelled due to visibility issues due to the ash cloud.

Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano in Ethiopia's Afar region, erupted on Sunday, producing a large ash plume that rose to around 14 kilometres (45,000 feet) in the sky. Volcanic ash reached the skies over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday.

Air India said it cancelled 13 flights, including some international services, as some of its planes had to undergo checks owing to the aircraft flying through affected regions. At Delhi airport, seven international flights were cancelled and more than 10 overseas flights delayed.

Air India said on 'X' that it was carrying out precautionary checks on those aircraft which had flown over certain geographical locations after the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption.

"Our ground teams across the network are keeping passengers updated on their flight status and are providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation. We are making every effort to arrange alternative travel at the earliest," Air India said.

"Following recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia and the resulting ash plume in the surrounding airspace, our flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24th and 25th November 2025 have been cancelled," Akasa Air said in a statement.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said there is no cause for concern at the moment and that the situation is being monitored closely.

"Following the 23 Nov volcanic eruption in Ethiopia and the eastward movement of the ash cloud, MoCA - along with ATC, IMD, airlines and international aviation agencies - is ensuring seamless coordination. AAI has issued the necessary NOTAM and all affected flights have been kept informed. Operations across India remain smooth, with only a few flights rerouted or descended as a precaution," the ministry said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra said, "The volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere and it is affecting flight operations. It has no impact on air quality or weather. The ash cloud is drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30 pm (Tuesday)."

"High winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman and further over the Arabian Sea towards western and northern India," an IMD statement said, adding that it closely monitored satellite imagery, advisories from Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAAC) and dispersion models.