New Delhi [India], November 25 (ANI): Ash clouds from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption have reached parts of India, affecting aviation but not local weather or air quality, as authorities continued monitoring conditions in the upper atmosphere.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said the impact remains limited to higher altitudes. “The impact of this volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere, and it is affecting flight operations. It has no impact on air quality and weather. Our estimate is that this volcanic ash will completely move towards China by evening,” he explained.
Mohapatra noted that international flights typically operate between 35,000 and 40,000 feet, while domestic services fly between 25,000 and 33,000 feet. The ash was observed “in the upper troposphere” over Indian airspace.
In Gujarat, officials highlighted how strong upper-level winds carried the ash over long distances. Narottam Sahoo, Advisor to the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, said, “This silent volcano became active and erupted after 12,000 years due to tectonic activity in Ethiopia. The ash cloud from this volcano has reached northern India. It has caused disruptions for the aviation industry.”
The rare eruption occurred on Sunday when the long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia sent ash plumes up to 14 kilometers high before drifting across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman. This marked the first recorded eruption in the volcano’s history.
In response, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory on Monday asking airlines to avoid volcanic ash-affected areas and adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel requirements based on the latest updates.
Air India canceled several domestic and international flights due to the ash, particularly over northern India, and began precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown through affected regions. Cancellations included AI 106 (Newark-Delhi), AI 102 (New York-Delhi), AI 2204 (Dubai-Hyderabad), AI 2290 (Doha-Mumbai), AI 2212 (Dubai-Chennai), AI 2250 (Dammam-Mumbai), and AI 2284 (Doha-Delhi) on November 24, as well as AI 2822 (Chennai-Mumbai), AI 2466 (Hyderabad-Delhi), AI 2444/2445 (Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai), and AI 2471/2472 (Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai) on November 25.
Akasa Air also suspended all flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi on November 24 and 25 due to the ash plume’s movement.
The scale of the eruption and resulting disruption were highlighted by satellite images capturing the rare awakening of the Hayli Gubbi volcano. The event has drawn significant scientific attention, as the volcano had remained inactive for nearly 10,000 years. Data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 mission and updates from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center indicated that the ash cloud traveled across thousands of kilometers. (ANI)
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