Ethiopia Volcano Eruption Tracker : Flight operations in India and West Asia were disrupted on Monday and Tuesday after the long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia erupted for the first time in more than 12,000 years, sending a massive ash cloud across the Red Sea and towards South Asia. IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, and Akasa Air announced domestic and international flight diversions and cancellations.
The volcano is situated about 800 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa and near the village of Afdera in the Danakil area, a geologically active zone known for volcanic systems and tectonic plate movement
Hayli Gubbi lies within the East African Rift Valley, southeast of the active Erta Ale volcano. The region is part of a seismically active corridor where the African and Arabian tectonic plates diverge, contributing to the volcanos long-term instability and potential for rare but significant eruptions
Which cities or areas are affected by the volcanic eruptions?
The eruption has directly affected communities in Ethiopia Afar region, especially the village of Afdera, which has been blanketed in ash. Beyond Ethiopia, the ash plume has traveled across national borders due to high-altitude winds, influencing atmospheric conditions and aviation safety across several countries (4).
The areas impacted by ash movement include multiple regions across the Middle East and South Asia, where airspace restrictions and flight disruptions have been issued in response to the volcanic plume: 
- Afar region, Ethiopia
- Afdera, Ethiopia
- China
- Delhi, India
- Gujarat, India
- Haryana, India
- Himalayas region
- Maharashtra, India
- Nepal
- Northern Arabian Sea
- Northern Pakistan
- Oman
- Punjab, India
- Rajasthan, India
- Tarai region near the Nepal India border
- Yemen
Impact on India and aviation advisory: A thick ash cloud from the eruption reached India on Monday night, leading India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, to issue a detailed advisory. Airlines have been told to avoid volcanic ash-affected routes and flight levels, adjust planning and fuel, and immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine anomalies. Airport operators have been instructed to inspect runways and taxiways.
According to Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department, “The volcanic eruption released ash that slowly moved from Ethiopia towards Yemen and Oman, and then advanced towards the Arabian Sea. By yesterday [Monday] evening, it reached the Gujarat-Rajasthan region. Gradually, by midnight, it moved over Delhi and North India, and is now travelling over Eastern India.”
The ash has now travelled 4,000 km to New Delhi and seems to be moving to China. It is expected to clear from India by 7:30 PM tonight. However, it will be limited to the atmosphere’s upper troposphere and won’t have any effect on the weather or air quality in the region.
Ethiopia Volcano Eruption Hayli Gubbi
Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano located in Ethiopia’s Afar Region, known for its wide, gently sloping structure formed by highly fluid basaltic lava. It lies within the Afar Depression, one of the most tectonically active rift zones on Earth. The volcano is part of the broader Erta Ale volcanic range, famous for continuous lava activity and rift-related Ethiopia Volcano Eruption. Its geological setting makes it a part of the ongoing rifting process shaping the East African landscape.
Ethiopia Volcano Eruption Environmental Consequences
Ethiopia Volcano Eruption significantly alter the physical environment by releasing ash, lava, and sulphur-rich gases into the atmosphere. Ashfall disrupts vegetation, contaminates water sources, and affects soil chemistry, impacting local ecosystems.
Air Pollution: SO₂, ash, and aerosols degrade air quality and reduce visibility.
Water Contamination: Ash deposits pollute rivers, lakes, and groundwater sources.
Habitat Disruption: Lava flows and ash burial damage wildlife habitats and vegetation.
Soil Alteration: Volcanic materials change soil pH and nutrient composition.
Climate Effects: Aerosols can cool the atmosphere and alter rainfall patterns.
Landscape Modification: Formation of new lava fields, fissures, and geothermal features….
Why the Ash Reached India?
Upper-level westerly winds and jet streams transported the ash cloud across continents. The altitude of the plume allowed it to bypass local weather systems and move efficiently toward India. Because the ash layer is positioned high above the troposphere, its descent toward the surface is slow and unlikely to significantly impact ground-level air quality.
SIP(SOME IMPORTANT POINTS)
Ethiopia volcanic eruption LIVE Updates: Ethiopia’s volcanic ash impact seen only in upper troposphere
Experts noted that ash clouds from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption have reached parts of India, affecting aviation but not local weather or air quality, as authorities continued to monitor conditions in the upper atmosphere.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said the impact remained limited to higher levels. “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
Closely monitoring volcanic ash plumes situation, says Aviation Ministry
The civil aviation ministry, along with the air traffic control India Meteorological Department (IMD), are closely monitoring the situation of ash plumes from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia impacting flight operations.
Some flights have been cancelled and many have been delayed due to the ash plumes.
The ministry said there is no cause for concern at the moment and that the situation is being monitored closely.
“Following the 23 Nov volcanic eruption in Ethiopia and the eastward movement of the ash cloud, MoCA — along with ATC, IMD, airlines and international aviation agencies — is ensuring seamless coordination.
“AAI has issued the necessary NOTAM and all affected flights have been kept informed
No major impact in Rajasthan, claims IMD scientist
“The ash clouds have been detected in the middle and upper tropospheric levels based on satellite observations. If we look at the aviation forecast, a special segment warning has been issued, and its impact has been seen over this particular area in the last 10 to 15 hours,” an IMD scientist told ANI.
Air India, Akasa cancel flights after Ethiopia volcano erupts
Indian airlines Air India and Akasa Air said on Tuesday they were cancelling some flights after ash plumes from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia disrupted operations.
Air India said it had cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to make precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over some locations after the eruption, following a directive to airlines from India’s aviation regulator.
Smaller peer Akasa said it had scrapped scheduled flights to Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled during the two days.
Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha on Delhi AQI
Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said that the ash clouds will not “immediately impact” Delhi’s AQI.
He told ANI, “The eruption of Ethopia volcano is enormous, and if you see it in the last 24 hours, whether we talk about Gujarat, Rajasthan or even in the last 12 hours, we can even see the ashes floating around Delhi. The overall impact of the eruption will be in the form of ash clouds and will not immediately affect the AQI in Delhi. The clouds are made of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and glass particles. Though it will not immediately affect the AQI, we need to monitor it, as the clouds are in the very upper atmosphere.
Conclusion
has concluded in the immediate sense of explosive activity, but its key conclusions involve a significant regional and international impact, a scientific wake-up call to the unpredictable nature of the East African Rift, and an ongoing need for vigilance regarding local livelihoods and future geological activity.
- Aviation Disruption: The primary international conclusion was a significant disruption to air travel. The volcanic ash plume reached altitudes of up to 14 kilometers (45,000 feet) and was carried by high-altitude winds across the Red Sea to the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, and India. Aviation authorities, including India’s DGCA, issued advisories, leading to the cancellation or rerouting of numerous international flights due to the risk of ash damaging aircraft engines.
- Local Impact: The village of Afdera, located near the volcano in the remote Afar region, was blanketed in ash. While no human casualties were reported immediately, there were significant concerns for the livelihoods of local livestock herders whose grazing fields were covered by ash, leaving animals with little to eat. Tourists in the region were also stranded.
- Scientific Significance: The eruption of Hayli Gubbi, which had been dormant for at least 12,000 years (since the Holocene era), was a rare and explosive event for a shield volcano, a type typically known for oozing lava flows. This unexpected activity highlighted how understudied the region’s volcanoes are and emphasized the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the East African Rift System, a major tectonic plate boundary.
- International Preparedness: The event demonstrated that volcanic activity in one remote location can have far-reaching, cross-continental consequences, underscoring the importance of synchronized global monitoring and response systems among aviation authorities, meteorologists (like the IMD and Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers), and disaster management bodies.
- Environmental Monitoring: While the ash plume did not affect surface-level air quality in distant cities like Delhi, the release of sulfur dioxide and fine ash particles warranted health precautions for residents in affected areas and led to continued monitoring for potential short-term effects on atmospheric chemistry and weather.
