Hayli Gubbi Volcano Eruption: Ash Cloud From Ethiopia Drifts Across Arabian Sea, Impacts Flights In India

A massive ash cloud from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano has drifted over India, disrupting flights and prompting aviation advisories due to potential airspace hazards.

Photo Credit: ANI

An ash cloud from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, is now drifting over northern India, prompting flight cancellations and advisories to airlines and airports. The eruption sent massive ash plumes across the Red Sea towards Yemen and Oman before the cloud expanded over the northern Arabian Sea and began moving towards the Indian subcontinent.

According to IndiaMetSky Weather, the ash is travelling at 100-120 km/h at altitudes between 15,000-25,000 feet and up to 45,000 feet, consisting mainly of volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and fine glass and rock particles. The dense portions of the plume are currently passing over Delhi, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, though experts say the likelihood of ground-level air quality deterioration remains low due to the ash being located high in the atmosphere.

“Ash cloud is about to enter Gujarat (west side) and move towards Rajasthan, northwest Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab by 10 pm, and later it will impact the Himalayas and other regions,” IndiaMetSky Weather said.

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The agency added, “A large ash plume can be seen stretching from the #HayliGubbi Volcano region up to #Gujarat… This is between 15–25,000 up to 45,000 feet in the sky and contains mostly volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and some small particles of glass/rock, which will make the sky appear darker and impact air traffic.”

Flight Cancellations And Aviation Advisory

Several airlines, including Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM, cancelled flights on Monday due to the volcanic ash threat.

Akasa Air cancelled flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24 and 25 November.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines cancelled its Amsterdam–Delhi (KL 871) service and the Delhi–Amsterdam (KL 872) return flight.

IndiGo stated on X, “Following the recent eruption of the #HayliGubbi volcano in #Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India… your safety remains our highest priority.”

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory instructing airlines to avoid ash-affected regions and adjust flight planning, routing and fuel calculations based on ongoing volcanic ash updates. Airlines have been told to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies, cabin odour, or smoke.

The DGCA also directed airport operators to undertake urgent inspections of runways, taxiways, and aprons if ashfall affects airport operations, and to continuously track the situation using satellite imagery and meteorological data.

The volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, erupted on Sunday morning, covering the nearby village of Afdera in dust. According to Afar TV, the event triggered moderate tremors around Erta Ale and Afdera town. Hayli Gubbi sits approximately 15 kilometres (nine miles) southeast of the active Erta Ale volcano.

The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) confirmed that the eruption began at 8:30 am UTC and has since ceased, although a “large ash plume is moving toward northern India.” Meteorological agencies and airlines continue to monitor the ash cloud’s trajectory to ensure safe air operations across the region.

(With ANI inputs)