A massive plume of volcanic ash from Ethiopia has drifted thousands of kilometres across the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula to reach India’s capital, Delhi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed.
The ash originated from the Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday after lying dormant for several millennia. The eruption blasted a towering column of ash high into the atmosphere, eventually spreading across Oman, Yemen, and into northern India.
The unexpected cloud has caused significant disruption to flight operations. Multiple airlines have cancelled, delayed, or diverted flights, following a directive from India’s aviation regulator urging pilots and carriers to “strictly avoid” the contaminated airspace.
Experts say the density of ash in the air remains uncertain due to the lack of advance measurement systems, but they do not expect Delhi’s already “very poor” air quality to worsen because of the plume.
Volcanic ash consists of fine, abrasive particles that pose a severe risk to aviation—capable of damaging aircraft engines, obstructing visibility, and contaminating runways.
IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told the BBC that the ash cloud is currently moving between 8.5km and 15km above sea level.
“It will affect satellites and flight operations temporarily, but it’s unlikely to impact weather patterns or ground-level air quality,” he noted.
The cloud reached northern India on Monday night and appears to be drifting toward China.
Skymet Weather says it is difficult to predict how long dispersal might take, but IMD expects Delhi’s skies to clear later on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, airline disruptions continue to mount.
Air India has cancelled at least 11 flights, while IndiGo, Akasa Air, and international carrier KLM have also been affected. IndiGo posted that its teams are monitoring the situation in coordination with global aviation bodies.
Mumbai Airport has urged passengers to verify flight status before travelling.
In an advisory, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed airlines to report any suspected ash encounters immediately—such as engine anomalies, cabin odours, or smoke—and instructed operators to conduct thorough inspections of aircraft flying near affected corridors.
The advisory also allows airlines to suspend or delay flights if ash levels worsen.
There are three categories of ash contamination—low, medium, and high—with strict limits on how long aircraft can safely fly within each. However, meteorologists say the concentration of ash from this eruption is still unknown due to lack of pre-eruption sensor deployment.
Volcanic ash clouds affecting aviation are rare, but not unprecedented. The 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano shut down major parts of European airspace and caused the biggest aviation disruption since World War II.