Indian flights bound for West Asia including Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi were cancelled or rerouted to avoid the dangerous ash spewed from the Ethiopia’s Hauli Gubbi volcano.
IndiGo, Akasa Air and SpiceJet said that their flight operations were hit even as ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued an advisory to airlines asking them to avoid ash-affected flying zones and altitudes. Airports were told to inspect runways for contamination and halt operations if needed.
Situated in the north-eastern region of Ethiopia, Hayli Gubbi erupted on November 23 after remaining dormant for more than 12,000 years. Thick plumes of smoke covered the skies across the Red Sea before drifting towards Yemen and Oman.
According to the UK’s civil aviation authority the glass in the ash melts, which then sticks to various parts of the engine. Sensors can fail and the thousands of microscopic holes that direct cooling air through the turbine blades can become blocked.
Apart from causing expensive internal damage to the engines, there's a real risk that exposure to concentrated levels of volcanic ash will result in a partial or total failure.
“Following recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia and the resulting ash plume in the surrounding airspace, our flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24th and 25th November 2025 have been cancelled. Passengers have been offered the option to either opt for a full refund towards their existing booking or rebook an alternate available flight in the next seven days at no additional cost,” Akasa Air said in a statement.
Though IndiGo did not announce cancellation of its flights, its flights were running late by around 60 minutes to 120 minutes, as per data available on Cirium.
“Following the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India. Our teams are closely tracking the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies,” IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, said in a statement.
“Due to a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, volcanic ash activity has been reported across parts of the Arabian Peninsula. This may impact flight operations for aircraft flying through these regions. Passengers travelling to/from Dubai (DXB) are advised to keep a check on their flight status,” SpiceJet said.
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