Ethiopia Volcano Eruption: Ash Plumes Reach Delhi, Haryana; Impact on Flights Explained

Flight operations have been impacted in India after an ash plume from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached Delhi and Maharashtra and other states on Monday. The ash comes from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted for the first time in almost 12,000 years. 

The volcanic eruption sent huge plumes of smoke nearly 14km into the sky. The eruption lasted several hours on Sunday.

Hayli Gubbi sits in the Afar region of Ethiopia. It rises about 500 metres and lies within the Rift Valley, an area known for strong geological activity. Soon after the eruption, the cloud moved over Yemen and Oman before spreading further east towards India and northern Pakistan.

As a result, many airlines have announced flight cancellations due to the drifting ash cloud. Visibility has also dropped on several routes, while Delhi and nearby regions are already struggling due to seasonal poor air quality.

The ash plume mostly consists of sulphur dioxide with low to moderate levels of volcanic ash. The cloud is too thin to worsen the air quality. However, sulphur dioxide levels may show a slight rise, particularly in the Himalayas.

"Sulphur dioxide-rich and moderately mixed ash volcanic ash plume is reaching Jaipur and nearby areas of NW & NC Rajasthan, whereas the outer thin layer is already reaching Haryana. The dense, concentrated parts of this Ash cloud will move over Delhi. There is less to worry about as it is between 25,000-45,000 feet high in the atmosphere and there will be low chances for any Ash fall," private weather forecaster IndiaMetSky Weather earlier explained.

According to the agency, hazy skies with slightly reduced daylight is expected due to the plumes of smoke as the thin ash layer passes over the affected regions. Flights may face delays or longer travel times due to rerouted paths. Some areas could see light deposits of volcanic dust, though this remains unlikely. 

Due to the volcanic ash cloud, airlines began cancelling and diverting flights on Monday afternoon. 

Akasa Air announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi scheduled for Nov. 24 and 25 because of the volcanic ash plume. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also cancelled its Amsterdam–Delhi flight (KL 871) along with the return Delhi–Amsterdam service (KL 872).

IndiGo, SpiceJet and others also informed passengers through social media that they are closely monitoring the situation and advised them to check their flight status regularly.

“Passengers travelling to/from Dubai (DXB) are advised to keep a check on their flight,” SpiceJet said on X.