Volcanic ash disrupts skies: Flights halted as Ethiopian plume drifts toward the Himalayas
The ash volcanic, moving at high pets, crossed over to Gujarat first before moving further east to Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
The pall contains Ethiopian stormy ash, sulphur dioxide and bitsy patches of glass and rock.Airlines have already flight cancellations and diverting flights to avoid the affected airspace.
DGCA has also asked airfields to be on aviation alert and to look out for the ash patches on runways, taxiways and other shells, as the ash could damage aircraft machines and intrude with other operations at fields.
IndiGo, Akasa Air and KLM are among the airlines that have changed their schedules, and further dislocations are anticipated as the ash premium moves further north into India..
IndiGo’s Kannur–Abu Dhabi flight (6E 1433) was diverted to Ahmedabad on Monday to avoid India airspace over the affected area. Here are all the updates:
DGCA issued an advisory on Monday, asking airlines and airports to be prepared for disruptions in air travel as the ash plume started drifting.
Weather agency IndiaMetSky said volcanic ash cloud had crossed into Gujarat on Monday evening before moving over to Rajasthan, northwestern Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, saying: “Ash cloud is about to enter Gujarat (west side) and will move towards Rajasthan, northwest Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab by 10 pm, and later Himalaya impact and nearby regions.”
It added that the plume was moving at a speed of 100–120 km/h at altitudes between 15,000 and 45,000 feet.
Ash, sulphur dioxide and microscopic glass and rock particles are contained within the plume.
Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM have cancelled flights so far, with flights to and from the Middle East and Europe most affected. Akasa Air said: “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.