The ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia are moving eastwards, and it is likely to reach China in the evening. Though the ash clouds affected flight operations in India, the civil aviation ministry maintained that there is no cause for concern and it is closely monitoring the situation.
In a statement, the Union ministry said that flight operations are continuing smoothly across the country, and only a few flights have been cancelled or rerouted owing to the situation. "Following the 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," the civil aviation ministry said.
"The Airports Authority of India 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. "There is no cause for concern at this moment. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide timely updates to ensure passenger safety," it added.
For the first time in over 10,000 years, the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia's Afar region erupted on November 23. The ash clouds reached Gujarat's coast late on Monday, and it eventually loomed over Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh later into the night, as per independent forecaster IndiaMetSky Weather.
On Monday evening, IndiGo diverted its Kannur-Abu Dhabi flight to Ahmedabad due to the prevailing climatic conditions. Air India announced the cancellation of 13 flights, including some international services, since Monday due to the impact of volcanic ash plumes, as some of its aircraft that flew through the affected regions are undergoing checks.
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Budget airline Akasa Air cancelled its flights to multiple Middle East nations, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi, due to the ash plumes. IndiGo also cancelled flights to the region and said it is closely monitoring the situation.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, told ANI, "The impact of this volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere, hence 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."