Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 25: Air travel across northern India witnessed disruptions on Monday after a massive ash plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano drifted towards the region, prompting airlines and airport authorities to issue high alerts. The ash cloud, currently moving over northern India, led to multiple flight cancellations and precautionary measures across the aviation sector.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on Sunday after nearly 12,000 years of dormancy, spewing thick ash columns across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman. The plume has now expanded over the northern Arabian Sea and is transitioning over parts of Delhi, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. Though the ash is thousands of feet above the surface — reducing the immediate threat of air quality deterioration — officials remain cautious.
Airlines including Akasa Air, IndiGo, and KLM cancelled several international flights as a safety measure. Akasa Air suspended its services to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for November 24 and 25. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines cancelled its Amsterdam–Delhi (KL 871) flight and the return Delhi–Amsterdam (KL 872) service.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to avoid ash-affected corridors and re-evaluate routing, fuel planning, and operational decisions based on updated advisories. Pilots have been instructed to immediately report any suspected ash encounter — including engine irregularities or cabin odour.
Airports have been asked to prepare for possible ash intrusion by ensuring immediate inspection of runways, taxiways, and aprons if contamination is detected. Operators are required to maintain round-the-clock monitoring through satellite imagery and meteorological inputs.
IndiGo, in a post on X, reassured passengers that safety remains its top priority amid concerns over the drifting ash cloud.
The eruption in Ethiopia’s Afar region left nearby villages like Afdera blanketed in volcanic dust, with tremors felt around Erta Ale and surrounding settlements. The Hayli Gubbi volcano lies approximately 15 km southeast of the active Erta Ale volcano.
Authorities continue to keep a close watch as the ash plume moves across airspace critical to India’s international flight routes.