Ethiopian volcanic ash reaches Delhi; urgent advisory for flights issued
What's the story
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia's Afar region erupted for the first time in nearly 10,000 years on Sunday, sending ash clouds up to 14km into the atmosphere. The ash plumes first entered Gujarat before moving toward Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an urgent advisory for all Indian carriers, asking airlines to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odor.
Flight disruptions
Airlines cancel flights, assure passengers of safety
IndiGo canceled six flights due to the ash cloud. While one of these planes originated in Mumbai, the others that were cancelled originated in the South, people aware of the situation told HT on Monday. Air India and SpiceJet were also affected. Meteorological experts have said that while the ash plume will mainly impact flights, it is not expected to significantly affect air quality near the surface, with only a potential marginal impact on pollution levels in northwest India.
Twitter Post
Air India flights canceled
Air India (@airindia) posts, "#ImportantAdvisory The following Air India flights have been cancelled as we carry out precautionary checks on those aircraft which had flown over certain geographical locations after the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption. Our ground teams across the… pic.twitter.com/nVcHQgJBXW
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2025
Flights
Flights canceled
According to PTI, two international departures from Kochi were also canceled as a precaution. The Cochin International Airport Limited said the affected flights were IndiGo's Cochin-Dubai (6E1475) and Akasa Air's Cochin-Jeddah (QP550). Airport officials stated that operations will resume after conditions improve. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also canceled its Amsterdam-Delhi flight (KL 871) as well as the return Delhi-Amsterdam flight (KL 872) due to the ash cloud.
Environmental effects
Ash plume's impact on air quality and temperature
The ash plume, consisting of sulfur dioxide and volcanic ash, is expected to increase temperatures slightly but not significantly affect air quality. "The impact over cities will mainly be a marginal rise in the temperature. Similar to clouds, the minimum will rise," IMD director general M Mohapatra told HT. On Tuesday morning, the IMD said the ash clouds were moving toward China and would leave India by 7:30pm.
Twitter Post
Video shows eruption
🇪🇹🌋 Hayli Gubbi volcano erupts for the first time in 10,000 years
— Sputnik Africa (@sputnik_africa) November 24, 2025
The eruption sent a massive ash plume rising 10-15 kilometers into the sky.
📍 Northeastern Ethiopia pic.twitter.com/gHaDkA6XKz
Volcanic history
Hayli Gubbi volcano's historical significance and eruption details
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted for the first time in the Holocene period (around 12,000 years ago), is located in a seismically active Rift Valley. The eruption covered several villages in ash and caused loud shock waves. A resident described it as feeling like "a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash." The 1,600-foot-tall volcano is located within the Rift Valley, a zone of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet.