Volcanic Ash from Ethiopian Eruption Reaches Delhi, Disrupting Flights Across India

Volcanic ash from Ethiopia impacts aviation routes over Delhi, with authorities urging passengers to check updated flight schedules

India (Journos News) -A large plume of volcanic ash from a rare eruption in Ethiopia has traveled across the Red Sea and reached northern India, leading to widespread disruption of flight operations and precautionary advisories from aviation authorities. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the ash cloud, which arrived over Delhi late Monday, is expected to clear within hours but has already affected commercial air travel across several routes.

The eruption began early Sunday at the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia—its first recorded activity in several thousand years—and sent ash high into the upper atmosphere. Meteorologists and aviation officials are monitoring the situation closely as airlines reroute aircraft to avoid the affected airspace. Despite the visible plume and flight disruption, experts say the event is unlikely to worsen Delhi’s already poor air quality or influence local weather patterns.

Ash Cloud Travels Across Region After Rare Ethiopian Eruption

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, released a towering column of ash that moved west to east, passing over the Red Sea before spreading across parts of Oman, Yemen and into South Asia. The IMD confirmed that the plume reached Indian airspace on Monday night at altitudes ranging from roughly eight and a half to fifteen kilometers above sea level.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the IMD, told the BBC that the ash is expected to temporarily affect satellite communication and aviation operations but is not projected to alter regional weather systems. He added that initial observations indicate the cloud is continuing its trajectory toward China after moving across northern India.

Private weather agency Skymet said that forecasting the dispersion timeline remains difficult, partly because the eruption was not anticipated and monitoring equipment could not be deployed in advance. While the IMD estimates that skies over Delhi will return to normal by Tuesday evening, meteorologists caution that high-altitude ash can shift depending on wind patterns and may continue traveling across Asia.

Flight Cancellations and Rerouting as Regulators Issue Precautions

India’s civil aviation authorities have issued guidance to airlines operating in or near the affected zones, advising crews to avoid contaminated airspace and to report any suspected encounters with ash immediately. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation instructed pilots to flag irregularities such as reduced engine performance, cabin smoke or unusual odors—known hazards when aircraft encounter volcanic particles.

Air India canceled eleven flights, while carriers including IndiGo, Akasa Air and KLM made schedule adjustments and route diversions. IndiGo said in a statement that it was tracking developments “in coordination with international aviation bodies,” reflecting the global aviation community’s standard protocols for volcanic ash events.

Mumbai Airport urged passengers to verify flight status before traveling, while other major airports maintained regular operations but continued monitoring. Aviation experts note that even small concentrations of volcanic ash can pose risks, including abrasion of cockpit windows, reduced visibility and damage to turbine engines, which rely on smooth airflow and are vulnerable to molten ash particles.

There are three internationally recognized ash contamination levels—low, medium and high—each with specific exposure limits for aircraft. However, the concentration in this case remains unknown. GP Sharma, president of meteorology and climate change at Skymet, said that measuring ash density requires advance deployment of specialized sensors, which was not possible for this eruption.

Volcanic Ash Rare but Not Without Precedent in Global Aviation

Although volcanic ash clouds are uncommon, their impact on air travel can be severe. In 2010, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull eruption grounded more than 100,000 flights over several days, shutting down large parts of European airspace in the worst aviation disruption since World War Two. That event prompted major changes in international safety protocols, including improved ash monitoring systems and more flexible airspace management guidelines.

In the current situation, the ash plume is dispersed across a higher altitude band and has not triggered widespread closures. Meteorologists emphasize that the scale is significantly smaller than the 2010 eruption, though they caution that volcanic activity can evolve quickly.

Volcanologists say eruptions like Hayli Gubbi’s are rare partly because many ancient volcanoes have not been active in recorded history. The Afar region sits on a tectonic rift and is known for geothermal activity, but long-dormant systems offer little advance warning. As a result, scientific data on the eruption remains limited.

Delhi’s Air Quality Unlikely to Change Despite High-Altitude Plume

Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Tuesday, according to official monitoring data, but experts say the situation is unrelated to the ash cloud. Because the plume is concentrated at high altitudes, it is not expected to mix with surface-level pollution or worsen health risks for residents.

Mohapatra reiterated that the event does not pose concerns for public health or local weather conditions, noting that the ash particles are circulating well above the breathing zone. High-altitude ash can interfere with satellite signals and atmospheric measurements, but these effects are usually temporary.

Environmental scientists say the incident underscores the interconnected nature of atmospheric systems, with material from a remote eruption able to cross continents in a matter of days. However, they also stress that such occurrences remain exceptional.

Ongoing Monitoring as Ash Moves Beyond India

As the plume continues drifting eastward, meteorological agencies in neighboring countries are watching for potential impacts on regional aviation corridors. India’s aviation regulator has advised carriers to suspend or delay operations if conditions deteriorate and to conduct thorough inspections of aircraft that have flown near affected areas.

The IMD and global monitoring networks will continue tracking the ash cloud’s movement until it dissipates. While early forecasts suggest limited disruption beyond Tuesday, aviation authorities remain cautious. The rapid spread of volcanic ash highlights the challenges of real-time response when eruptions occur without prior seismic activity or alert systems.

For passengers, airports and airlines recommend checking flight updates frequently, as schedules may change with short notice. Despite the operational disruptions, experts maintain that safety protocols are functioning as intended—prioritizing caution until the upper atmosphere clears and normal flight paths resume.

The rare eruption in Ethiopia has drawn scientific interest, and further analysis is expected in the coming weeks as researchers gather data on ash composition, plume height and atmospheric transport. For now, authorities describe the incident as a manageable event with localized aviation effects, rather than a large-scale hazard.