In this photo released by the Afar Government Communication Bureau, people watch ash billow from an eruption of the long-dormant Hayli Gubbi Volcano in Ethiopia's Afar region, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Afar Government Communication Bureau via AP)Flight operations in India and West Asia were disrupted on Monday and Tuesday after the long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia erupted for the first time in more than 12,000 years, sending a massive ash cloud across the Red Sea and towards South Asia. IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, and Akasa Air announced domestic and international flight diversions and cancellations. The cloud has now completely moved out of India.
Ethiopia volcano LIVE map: Track Hayli Gubbi eruption, movement, impact and hit areas
Where the eruption occurred: The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning, coating nearby villages in ash. According to locals quoted by the Associated Press (AP), there is no previous record of this volcano erupting. The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that Hayli Gubbi had no known activity during the Holocene period, which began around 12,000 years ago. Satellite images reviewed by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center showed ash rising up to 14 km and drifting westward.
Impact on India and aviation advisory: A thick ash cloud from the eruption reached India on Monday night, leading India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, to issue a detailed advisory. Airlines were told to avoid volcanic ash-affected routes and flight levels, adjust planning and fuel, and immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine anomalies. The ash cloud exited India on Tuesday night and is over China now.
The ash cloud from the Ethiopian volcano exited India around 10:30 PM and moved towards China. The ash cloud's exact impact in India is still not known. But the IMD had earlier said that it will have no affect on the weather and pollution in India. Ethiopia has 50 known volcanoes. Most of them have been dormant. The Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted after 12,000 years.
Ash clouds from volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached parts of India on Tuesday affecting flight operations but it had no impact on the weather or air quality, according to government agencies.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash plumes are drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm on Tuesday.
The IMD and the civil aviation ministry said they are closely monitoring the situation. (PTI)
Experts noted that 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 to monitor conditions in the upper atmosphere.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said the impact remained limited to higher levels. "The impact of this volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere, and it is affecting the 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 said. (ANI)
The civil aviation ministry, along with the air traffic control India Meteorological Department (IMD), are closely monitoring the situation of ash plumes from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia impacting flight operations.
Some flights have been cancelled and many have been delayed due to the ash plumes.
The ministry said there is no cause for concern at the moment and that the situation is being monitored closely.
"Following the 23 Nov volcanic eruption in Ethiopia and the eastward movement of the ash cloud, MoCA -- along with ATC, IMD, airlines and international aviation agencies -- is ensuring seamless coordination.
"AAI has issued the necessary NOTAM and all affected flights have been kept informed. Operations across India remain smooth, with only a few flights rerouted or descended as a precaution," the ministry said in a post on X.
A high-altitude cloud of volcanic ash from Ethiopia which had entered the Indian region on Monday afternoon is expected to fully cross over to China by Tuesday evening. The volcanic ash emerged from a rare eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in northeastern part of Ethiopia, near the Red Sea coastline, on Sunday.
The volcanic ash was travelling at a height at which most of the long-distance airplanes fly. These pose dangers of lack of visibility and possible inhalation of toxic gases like SO2. Airline schedules had to be disrupted to avoid these. The India Meteorological Department said the situation would revert to normal from Tuesday evening.
What was it?The Hayli Gubbi volcano in northeastern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday, by all accounts for the first time in about 12,000 years. There was no lava or magma flow, but large amounts of gas and plume, consisting possibly of small fragments of rocks, glass and some other material, were ejected in an explosive eruption. The heavier among these would have fallen in nearby areas, but the very fine particles, and gases like sulphur dioxide or carbon dioxide, could rise very high in the atmosphere, about 15-40 km above the surface.... Click Here
As per the IMD, the volcanic ash cloud is passing over the Gujarat-Rajasthan region into Haryana-Delhi and then into China. However, it will be limited to the upper troposphere, which is between 8 km and 15 km from the Earth's surface and will have no impact on the weather and air quality at the ground level.
India Meteorological Department Director General of Meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra says the volcanic ash plume from Ethiopia is moving towards eastern India at a speed of 100 kmph to 150 kmph.
Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, says, "The volcanic eruption released ash that slowly moved from Ethiopia towards Yemen and Oman, and then advanced towards the Arabian Sea. By yesterday [Monday] evening, it reached the Gujarat-Rajasthan region. Gradually, by midnight, it moved over Delhi and North India, and is now travelling over Eastern India." He said the volcanic ash plume will be limited to the atmosphere's upper troposphere and will have no bearing on the weather or air quality at the surface.
VIDEO | Delhi: Ash clouds from volcanic activity in Ethiopia are drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2025
Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, says, "In Ethiopia, the volcanic eruption released… pic.twitter.com/AObMqzSD59
The Hayli Gubbi volcano dormant for nearly 12,000 years, erupted on Sunday, spewing up ash plumes 14 km high at the spot. The ash travelled nearly 4,000 km to India and the ash cloud is in the upper troposphere region. This has caused flight disruptions — both domestic and international. But is unlikely to have any immediate impact on the air pollution in Delhi on the ground. The plume will pass over from India to China by 7:30 PM, accoring to the IMD's estimates.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday, spewed ashes up to 14 km high. The volcano is located about 800 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa. It erupted for several hours on Sunday. The nearby village of Afdera was completely covered in ash. It has now travelled to India's New Delhi, travelling over 4,000 km.
Akasa Air has said it had cancelled flights to Middle East destinations, like Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi on November 24 and 25, reported Reuters.
The volcanic ash cloud is likely to clear the Indian skies by 7:30 PM tonight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement. The ash plume will then move towards China.
Air India has released a list of flights cancelled due to the ash plume entering India. "Our ground teams across the network are keeping passengers updated on their flight status and are providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation. We are making every effort to arrange alternative travel at the earliest," Air India posted on X.
Cancelled Flights include
November 24
AI 106 Newark–Delhi
AI 102 New York (JFK)–Delhi
AI 2204 – Dubai–Hyderabad
AI 2290 – Doha–Mumbai
AI 2212 – Dubai–Chennai
AI 2250 – Dammam–Mumbai
AI 2284 – Doha–Delhi
November 25
AI 2822 – Chennai–Mumbai
AI 2466 – Hyderabad–Delhi
AI 2444 / 2445 – Mumbai–Hyderabad–Mumbai
AI 2471 / 2472 – Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai
There are fears of the pollution in Delhi and other parts of north India worsening due to the ash from the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption reaching India. However, the impact of the ash is likely to be minimal. The ash cloud from Ethiopia volcano is likely to clear from India by 7.30 PM, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. Ash clouds are drifting towards China.
Multiple airlines have cancelled there flights in North India as the DGCA issued an advisory to airlines and airports. Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued an advisory to airlines and airports to deal with possible disruptions due to the ash plumes from the volcanic activity in Ethiopia.
According to news agency PTI, Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that cancelled some flights due to the ash plumes on Monday. Ash clouds from the Hayli Gubbi volcano eruption in Ethiopia may also drift towards western India.
AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital areas are covered by a layer of toxic smog. The AQI (Air Quality Index) around the areas is 323, categorised as 'Very Poor'. It is, however, unclear how much of an impact will the Ethiopian volcanic ash have on Delhi's air.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Delhi | Visuals from the AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital area as a layer of toxic smog blankets the city. AQI (Air Quality Index) around the area is 323, categorised as 'Very Poor', as claimed by CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). pic.twitter.com/hBvbQrA6HD
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2025
In view of the volcanic ash clouds from a volcano eruption in Ethiopia drifting over various countries, aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued an urgent operational advisory to all Indian airlines asking them to strictly avoid volcanic ash-affected areas and flight altitudes. It also directed airlines to adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations accordingly, and immediately report any suspected ash encounter, “including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour”.
According to latest reports, ash clouds from the Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday after over 10,000 years, have since been moving and drifting over various countries including Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, and parts of India. The ash clouds are reported to have entered India Monday evening from Rajasthan, and are expected to drift over parts of northern, eastern, and northeastern India. The eruption had set thick plumes of smoke and volcanic ash up to 14 km into the sky. Read Full Report
Following the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, ash clouds have been observed to be moving towards western India. 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. We will take all necessary steps under our precautionary plans to ensure the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft, which remains our top priority.
Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued an advisory to airlines and airports to deal with possible disruptions due to the ash plumes from the volcanic activity in Ethiopia.
Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that cancelled some flights due to the ash plumes on Monday.
Ash clouds from the recent eruption of the HayliGubbi volcano in Ethiopia are impacting flight operations, and there are reports suggesting that clouds might also be drifting towards the western parts of India.
In a detailed advisory, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories. (PTI)
Air India said on Monday that its flight operations remain unaffected despite ash clouds drifting over parts of the region after the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia.
In an update posted on X, the airline said it is “closely monitoring the situation” and remains in touch with operating crew.
#traveladvisory
— Air India (@airindia) November 24, 2025
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 added that safety measures under its precautionary plans would be taken if required and that ground teams across its network will continue assisting passengers and updating them about their flights.
Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that cancelled some flights due to the ash plume issue on Monday. IndiGo cancelled some flights to the Middle East and Dutch carrier KLM cancelled its flight from Amsterdam to Delhi due to the volcanic ash plume issue. An IndiGo flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was diverted to Ahmedabad on Monday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash–affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories.
Also, airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.
DGCA noted that if volcanic ash affects airport operations, then the operator concerned must immediately inspect runways, taxiways, and aprons.
Several flights from and to India have been diverted due to the ash plume from the Hayli Gubbi volcano eruption in Ethiopia. The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in the Afar region of Ethiopia, erupted on Sunday morning. Ash plumes from the volcanic eruption spread across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman up to 14 km in the sky, causing disruption of flight operation in North West India. Read more
An IndiGo Airlines flight from Kerala’s Kannur to the UAE, on Monday was diverted to Ahmedabad following the eruption of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano. In a statement, IndiGo said flight 6E 1433 from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was diverted due to volcanic activity.
“The flight has now landed in Ahmedabad and Indigo will provide return service to Kannur,” the airline said.
Other airlines including Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM have also cancelled some flights due to the volcanic ash issue. Read more
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