New Delhi : The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday said flight operations across India are running normally, with only limited precautionary rerouting, as volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption drifts eastwards. MoCA said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued the required NOTAM and that all affected flights have been informed. Operations across India remain smooth, with only a few flights rerouted or descended as a precaution.
There is no cause for concern at this moment. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide timely updates to ensure passenger safety, the ministry said. The IMD confirmed that ash plumes from the eruption affected some flight paths on Monday and extended their influence over parts of Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday.
According to the IMD, the Hayli Gubbi shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday, sending an ash plume up to 14 km (45,000 ft) high. “High-level winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman and further over the Arabian Sea towards western and northern India,” it said.
IMD’s Met Watch Offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata issued ICAO-standard Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) warnings to airports, advising flight crews to avoid specific airspace segments and altitudes highlighted by Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) bulletins. The agency relied on satellite imagery, dispersion models and VAAC advisories for continuous monitoring. The IMD said continuous monitoring of meteorological and ash advisories is being used for flight planning, including any route or fuel adjustments.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Erta Ale Range, last erupted around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Sunday’s sudden activity sent towering ash clouds sweeping across the Red Sea toward Oman and Yemen before shifting eastwards, Al Arabiya reported. Volcanic ash has since been observed over parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Read Also : Harassment Of Indian Woman At Shanghai Airport : China Denies Indian Woman’s Harassment Charge