Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted after nearly 10,000 years, sending ash clouds towards India. The ash reaching Delhi may affect air quality and weather conditions in the region.
A plume of volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano reached Delhi around 11 pm on Monday. Forecasters had been tracking the cloud for a day as it moved across the Red Sea and headed toward northwest India at nearly 130 kmph. The long-dormant volcano erupted for the first time in nearly 10,000 years on Sunday, pushing a thick column of ash and sulphur dioxide high into the sky.
Weather trackers said the plume first entered India over western Rajasthan. “The ash cloud has now entered the Indian subcontinent from the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer region and is moving northeast at 120-130 kmph,” the India Met Sky Weather alert said. “Skies may look weird and funny for a while, but there is less to worry about as the ash lies between 25,000 and 45,000 feet.”
By late evening, the plume stretched over parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, with a trailing segment expected to brush Gujarat. Forecasters also warned that Punjab, the foothills of western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Himachal Pradesh could see impacts overnight.
Experts said most of the ash is too high to pose health risks on the ground, but some light precipitation of ash particles is possible. Sunrise on Tuesday may bring unusual colours, while noting that air quality would remain awful as usual, regardless of the volcanic intrusion.
AVIATION ON ALERT
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an urgent advisory for all Indian carriers after volcanic ash advisories were released by Toulouse, Airports Authority of India and an ASHTAM warning of hazardous conditions across parts of the Muscat Flight Information Region.
The regulator told airlines to revise routing and fuel plans, cautioning crews against flying through any ash-affected airspace. “Strict avoidance of volcanic ash-affected areas and flight levels is mandatory,” the advisory said. Pilots were asked to report any unusual engine behaviour or cabin odour immediately, while dispatch teams were told to monitor NOTAMs, ASHTAMs and meteorological updates throughout the night.
The agency also directed airlines to brief crew on volcanic-ash procedures listed in their operations manuals.
Though the cloud over India is high-altitude and unlikely to affect takeoffs or landings, officials said its evolving path over West Asia demanded caution. The DGCA said it is preparing for potential air travel disruptions depending on updated advisories through the night and Tuesday morning.
VOLCANIC ASH DISRUPTS FLIGHTS
Flight disruptions began on Monday along routes crossing the volcanic ash corridor. According to news agency PTI, two international departures from Kochi were cancelled as a precaution after the eruption in Ethiopia. Cochin International Airport Limited said the affected flights were IndiGo’s Cochin-Dubai service (6E1475) and Akasa Air’s Cochin-Jeddah flight (QP550). Airport officials said operations would resume once conditions improve.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also cancelled its Amsterdam-Delhi flight (KL 871) and the return Delhi-Amsterdam service (KL 872) due to the ash cloud.
In a post on X late on Monday, Air India said, “Following the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, ash clouds have been observed over certain geographical regions.”
“We are closely monitoring the situation and remain in constant touch with our operating crew. There is no major impact on Air India flights at this time,” it said.
Amid reports of flight diversions and cancellations, IndiGo said in a statement that it was “closely tracking the situation” and was “fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations”.
Airlines issued cautionary messages for passengers flying through the Middle East. SpiceJet warned that volcanic ash over parts of the Arabian Peninsula “may impact flight operations for aircraft flying through these regions”, adding that its operations and safety teams were monitoring the cloud’s movement. The carrier advised passengers travelling to and from Dubai to check their flight status.
