Several flights were delayed and cancelled in India as ash-carrying clouds drifted towards the country, following as Hayli Gubbi Volcano eruption in Ethiopia. The huge volcano has erupted for the first time in more than 12,000 years, sending ash across the clouds over the Red Sea and towards South Asia.
An IndiGo flight to Abu Dhabi from Kannur in Kerala was diverted to Ahmedabad due to volcanic ash in clouds spread from the Hayli Gubbi eruption. The airline said that its aircraft landed safely and a return service to Kannur would be arranged.
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Other Airlines, including Akasa Air and KLM, also cancelled or rerouted flights as the ash could spread over Yemen, Oman, India and Pakistan.
The ash clouds from Hayli Gubbi Volcano reached Delhi at around 11 pm on Monday, November 24. The clouds are predicted to continue moving towards Punjab and Haryana throughout the night and into Tuesday.
The aviation regulatory Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued an advisory to all Indian airlines asking them to strictly avoid volcanic ash-affected areas and flight altitudes. The DGCA asked airlines to adjust their scheduled timings, routing and fuel considerations accordingly and immediately report any suspected encounters.
Mumbai Airport
According to the Mumbai Airport advisory, flights were rerouted across Pakistan airspace due to ash clouds. The Pakistani airspace is shut for Indian airlines. Therefore the Indian airlines are expected to be impacted. "We have started keeping a record of this and are monitoring the situation,” an official said.