The sudden eruption of Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano after 10,000 years of dormancy has created unexpected travel chaos for Indian air travelers, with volcanic ash drifting across northwest India and forcing flight cancellations and delays.
Flight Operations Disrupted Across Multiple Airlines
Seven international flights scheduled to operate between 1 am and 6 pm on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, were cancelled as volcanic ash from the Ethiopian eruption affected airspace conditions over northern India. An additional twelve international flights during the same period faced significant delays as airlines scrambled to modify their operations in response to the atmospheric disruption.
Air India bore the brunt of the cancellations, calling off several domestic and international routes. The affected Air India flights included AI 2822 from Chennai to Mumbai, AI 2466 from Hyderabad to Delhi, and the Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai sectors AI 2444 and AI 2445. The airline also cancelled its Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai rotations AI 2471 and AI 2472.
Akasa Air joined the list of affected carriers, cancelling scheduled flights to Middle Eastern destinations including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi that were planned for both Monday and Tuesday operations.
IMD Clarifies Limited Impact on Air Quality and Weather
Despite concerns about potential air quality deterioration, the India Meteorological Department provided reassuring news about the limited scope of the volcanic ash's impact. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at IMD, clarified that the volcanic material remained confined to the upper atmosphere and would not affect ground-level conditions.
"The impact of this volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere, and it is affecting the flight operations. It has no impact on air quality and weather," Mohapatra told ANI. He further confirmed that the ash cloud was expected to completely move towards China by Tuesday evening, bringing relief to aviation authorities.
Understanding the Rare Volcanic Event
The Hayli Gubbi shield volcano in Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region produced its first major activity in nearly 10,000 years, sending ash columns rising as high as 14 kilometers into the atmosphere. According to Narottam Sahoo, Advisor to the Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, the sudden awakening resulted from tectonic activity in the geologically volatile region.
The volcanic ash traveled an impressive distance from its source – approximately 800 km northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border. Strong upper-level winds carried the ash columns across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman before eventually drifting over the Arabian Sea into western and northern India.
The ash mass moved across large parts of northwest India on Monday night, sweeping over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR, and Punjab. While creating temporary challenges for aviation, the event provided a dramatic example of how geological events in one continent can rapidly affect regions thousands of kilometers away.
