Two Indian airlines have cancelled flights and several others issued advisories in the past two days after ash from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia drifted into the country’s airspace.
Hayli Gubbi, a volcano in the East African country’s Afar region, erupted on Sunday after more than 10,000 years, Reuters reported. The eruption produced a large cloud of ash rising to about 14 km, or 45,000 ft, in altitude and spreading eastward across the Red Sea and northern Arabian Sea.
Plumes of ash moved over several countries, including parts of India, Yemen, Oman and Pakistan. The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday said that ash clouds were drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm, the Hindustan Times reported.
The weather agency also cited forecast models as indicating the influence of the plumes over Gujarat, Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
In light of the situation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday issued an urgent operational advisory to all Indian airlines, urging them to strictly avoid volcanic ash-affected areas and flight altitudes, The Indian Express reported.
Airlines were also directed to adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations, taking into account the situation and report any suspected ash encounter, “including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour”.
On Tuesday, Air India and Akasa Air said they had cancelled several flights.
Air India cancelled 11 international and domestic flights on Monday and Tuesday, including from New York to Delhi, Dubai to Hyderabad and Chennai to Mumbai.
The Indian air carrier said that the flights had been cancelled as precautionary checks were being undertaken because these aircraft “had flown over certain geographical locations after the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption”.
“Our ground teams across the network are keeping passengers updated on their flight status and are providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation,” Air India said on social media.
Akasa Air also said that it had scrapped several flights scheduled to operate towards West Asian destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi during the two days, Reuters reported.
On Monday, IndiGo issued an advisory saying that its teams were closely tracking the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies
“We are fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations,” it said on social media. “Our 6E teams are available across all touchpoints to support you with any assistance you may need.”
SpiceJet said on Monday that the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia may impact flight operations for aircraft flying through parts of the Arabian Peninsula
“As safety remains our top priority, our Flight Operations and Safety teams are closely coordinating with aviation authorities and continuously monitoring ash cloud movement,” it said.
It urged passengers travelling to or from Dubai to check the flight status on the airline’s website.