Ethiopian Volcano Erupts After 12,000 Years, Ash Cloud Reaches Delhi and Disrupts Flights

A huge volcanic eruption in northern Ethiopia has raised global alarms as the ash produced by the eruption got carried away over a distance of thousands of kilometers and finally reached India thus aggravating the already bad air quality in Delhi.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, which is situated in the Afar region of Ethiopia, erupted for the first time in almost 12,000 years on Sunday. The volcano erupted sending ash up to 14 kilometers into the air and due to powerful winds that were blowing at a speed of 100–120 km/h, the ash got dispersed across several countries.

Ash Drift Reaches India, Disrupts Flights

The first entry of the ash cloud into India was from the state of Gujarat, after that, the cloud moved to Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.

Delhi experienced a hazier sky by late Monday night which not only intensified the city's already worsened air quality but also affected the running of flights.

The suspension and rerouting of flights for several major airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, became inevitable as a safety measure.

Air India, which had already canceled 11 flights (including international flights from New York, Newark, Doha, and Dubai), apologized for the inconvenience caused to the customers and added that the planes operating in the affected areas had to undergo mandatory safety checks.

“Passenger and crew safety is the airline's top priority,” they posted on X.

IndiGo also made a public announcement offering reassurance that the company was in close contact with global aviation authorities.

DGCA Issues Safety Advisory

India’s aviation regulatory body, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alerted commercial airlines about the volcanic ash and instructed them to avoid air routes that were affected by ash and to report any in-flight incidents like problems with engine performance or strange smells in the cabin.

Volcanic ash is recognized as one of the most dangerous hazards for aircraft because it can damage engines, reduce visibility and interfere with navigation systems.

Impact on Weather and Air Quality

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that the volcanic ash cloud is currently heading towards China and should be totally gone from India's skies by 7:30 PM today.

The meteorologists believe that the ash plume is made up of mainly sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and has low to medium ash concentrations which is the reason it is very unlikely that the air quality index (AQI) in India will be adversely affected in a major way, however, in the northern parts of the country especially in the Himalayas and the foothills of Nepal, sulfur levels may see a rise.

A Rare Geological Event

The Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution states that the Hayli Gubbi volcano has had no recorded eruptions over the last 11,700 years (the Holocene period) which makes this eruption event scientific in nature.

The densely populated Great Rift Valley area is very active tectonically. People living there reported loud bangs, followed by ground shaking, and a column of smoke going up.

“It was like a bomb exploding,” one resident told AP.

Reports and pictures from social media show a thick cloud of white smoke coming out of the volcano and going up to the sky—although the authenticity of the images is still being confirmed.

What Happens Next?

The experts anticipate that there will be constant international air traffic monitoring and the regional monitoring of the situation for the next 24 to 48 hours as the ash cloud dissipates.

The authorities recommend travelers to frequently check the flight schedules and be prepared for possible delays.