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Volcanic Ash From Ethiopia’s First Eruption in 12,000 Years Reaches India, Disrupts Flights Across Multiple Cities

A rare volcanic event in Ethiopia has sent high-altitude ash racing across continents, briefly affecting Indian airspace and forcing airlines to cancel or reroute flights....

Nov 25
3 min read
Volcanic Ash From Ethiopia’s First Eruption in 12,000 Years Reaches India, Disrupts Flights Across Multiple Cities

A rare volcanic event in Ethiopia has sent high-altitude ash racing across continents, briefly affecting Indian airspace and forcing airlines to cancel or reroute flights.

A Once-in-Millennia Eruption Sends Shockwaves Across Regions

A powerful eruption from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano—its first known activity in nearly 12,000 years—sent towering columns of ash into the atmosphere on Sunday, triggering aviation disruptions across Asia. High-velocity winds in the upper atmosphere steered the ash plume from the Afar region across the Arabian Peninsula and into western and northern India late Monday night.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed that the plume drifted into Gujarat before spreading toward Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. Although the haze appeared dramatic on satellite imagery, IMD emphasized that the cloud was at high altitudes and posed no meaningful impact on ground-level air quality. The ash is expected to exit India’s skies by early Tuesday evening.

Flights Cancelled as Aviation Authorities Issue Alerts

With jet engines highly vulnerable to volcanic ash, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued an urgent advisory instructing airlines to avoid designated ash-affected corridors. Carriers were asked to modify routes, adjust fuel planning, and immediately report any anomalies detected during mid-air operations.

Air India temporarily grounded several aircraft for what it described as “precautionary inspections,” leading to the cancellation of at least 11 international and domestic flights. Services between New York, Newark, Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Delhi were among those affected.

The airline said in a statement that safety considerations outweighed all operational inconveniences, assuring passengers that affected services were being rescheduled.

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, said its teams were tracking developments in coordination with global aviation bodies and stressed that contingency protocols were fully in place.

What Scientists Say: High SO₂ Levels, Low Risk to Air Quality

Weather specialists noted that the plume carried elevated levels of sulphur dioxide, along with moderate concentrations of ash particles. While the material remained too high to influence urban air quality indices in India, some SO₂ accumulation was expected over higher-altitude regions such as Nepal, parts of the Himalayas, and pockets of the Uttar Pradesh Terai.

Meteorologists added that the plume’s movement toward China would continue through the day as upper-tropospheric winds shifted eastward.

Afar Rift: One of the World’s Most Active Geological Zones

Hayli Gubbi sits in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift, a region where the African and Arabian tectonic plates slowly pull apart—a geological process that frequently produces earthquakes and volcanic activity. Despite the region’s volatility, Hayli Gubbi itself has been dormant through the entire Holocene epoch, making Sunday’s eruption a scientifically significant event.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that no previous activity from the volcano has been documented in modern records. Residents described hearing a deep blast followed by shock waves before ash blanketed nearby settlements.

The eruption sent plumes rising as high as 14–15 km, well into commercial flight altitudes, which explains the scale of global aviation response.

Why This Matters Globally

  • Aviation safety: Volcanic ash can stall engines and damage aircraft sensors, as seen in previous incidents involving flights over Indonesia and Iceland.

  • Transboundary impact: This event highlights how geological activity in the Horn of Africa can rapidly influence conditions thousands of kilometers away.

  • Early-warning systems: Meteorologists noted the importance of satellite-based monitoring in enabling swift advisories that prevented more severe disruptions.

While the immediate risk to India is receding, global aviation agencies continue to monitor the plume’s eastward journey.