Ethiopia Volcano Erupts After 12,000 Years, Forcing Flight Cancellations

Flights across India and the Middle East were cancelled or diverted after a volcano in Ethiopia erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending a massive ash cloud across key aviation routes in the Red Sea region. The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours, ejecting ash up to 14km (nine miles) into the atmosphere.

According to the Afar Government Communication Bureau, several villages were “covered in ash,” though no casualties were reported. Mohammed Seid, a regional official, said that while no people or livestock were killed, “many villages have been covered in ash and as a result their animals have little to eat.”

Residents described powerful explosions and shockwaves as the volcano erupted. “It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” said Ahmed Abdela, who saw ash blanketing homes and stranding travellers heading toward the Danakil Desert.

Satellite data from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre and the India Meteorological Department showed thick ash plumes drifting over Yemen and Oman before spreading across Pakistan and reaching northern India on Monday and Tuesday. The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program reports no known eruptions of Hayli Gubbi during the Holocene, the period covering roughly the past 12,000 years. Volcanologist Simon Carn confirmed on Bluesky that the volcano “has no record of Holocene eruptions.”

The ash cloud triggered significant disruption across Indian airspace. Air India cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to conduct precautionary inspections on aircraft that had flown near the affected zones, following safety directives from India’s aviation regulator. Akasa Air cancelled flights to Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi, while IndiGo diverted a Kannur–Abu Dhabi service to Ahmedabad late Monday.

KLM also cancelled a scheduled Amsterdam–Delhi flight due to the ash plume.
Airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and several parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan advised passengers to expect delays and urged them to check their airline’s schedules. Mumbai airport warned that the ash could affect multiple international routes depending on wind conditions.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) instructed airlines to avoid affected altitudes, monitor real-time ash advisories and inspect runways for possible contamination. Airlines said they were prioritising safety and adjusting operations as the situation evolved.

The ash plume reached northern India amid already hazardous air quality levels that have sparked public protests. While some residents feared the volcanic ash might further worsen pollution, experts said it was unlikely to significantly impact the region’s Air Quality Index.

Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of meteorology at the India Meteorological Department, said the ash cloud travelled over Delhi overnight and was moving across eastern India on Tuesday evening at speeds of 100–150 km/h. Forecasts suggest it will continue drifting over Bangladesh, parts of Myanmar and China, and may reach Japan’s southern coast.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com