Seven international flights scheduled between 1 am and 6 pm on Tuesday were cancelled due to volcanic ash affecting airspace, while 12 others were delayed, sources said. Both incoming and outgoing flights were impacted, with airlines adjusting operations for safety.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said ash clouds from the Ethiopian eruption are likely to clear Indian skies by 7:30 pm on Tuesday. The plume, which briefly disrupted flights on Monday, is now moving towards China.
The ash initially entered Gujarat before spreading overnight across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Punjab. The eruption originated from Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, producing its first major activity in nearly 10,000 years and sending ash as high as 14 km.
The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) reported the explosive phase began around 8:30 am GMT, generating a large plume moving toward northern India. Upper-level winds carried the ash across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman, and further over the Arabian Sea into western and northern India.
A haze settled over Delhi as the plume passed, worsening air quality to the very poor category. IMD offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata issued ICAO-standard SIGMET warnings, advising airports to avoid affected airspace segments.
Airlines including IndiGo, Akasa Air, and KLM revised schedules, while the DGCA circulated advisories and monitored plume progression.
