[Editor's Note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog for real-time updates on the flight cancelations caused by the eruption of Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano ]

A volcano in Ethiopia's northeastern region erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of ash and smoke up to 14 kilometres into the sky. The Hayli Gubbi volcano eruption lasted for several hours on Sunday, with ash drifting eastward towards the Red Sea, the Middle East, Pakistan, and India.

High-altitude routes between India and GCC countries have been affected, with airlines such as Air India and IndiGo cancelling flights as they conduct precautionary checks to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. Air India specifically noted cancellations for aircraft that had already flown over the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Dubai-based carriers Emirates and flydubai confirme that their flights, including those to Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, were operating normally. Dubai Airports data also indicated that flights to and from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Addis Ababa departed and arrived on time, with later flights similarly unaffected.

Has the world seen disruption like this before? The answer is yes. Here are the top five volcanic eruptions that wreaked havoc on air travel, grounding flights and stranding millions of passengers across the globe:

A glaciated volcano in southern Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull erupted on April 14, 2010. It continued for 39 days, sending a massive ash cloud into the atmosphere. It's considered the most disruptive volcano in recent aviation history since World War II. Weather patterns carried the clouds towards Europe, leading to widespread airspace closures across the UK and Europe. Over 300 airports were closed, 100,000 flights were cancelled, and around 10 million passengers were unable to travel, according to the BBC. On the first day alone of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (pronounced AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl) volcano, 8,200 flights were grounded, and the airline industry suffered an estimated £1.1 billion in losses.

2. Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano

After 51 years of dormancy, the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano erupted in southern Chile's Andes on June 4, 2011, continuing for several months and causing severe air travel disruption. Hundreds of flights were affected, impacting over 120,000 passengers. The ash cloud forced flight suspensions in Argentina, Uruguay, and even as far away as Australia, marking the first time in 20 years that ash from a South American volcano had travelled halfway across the globe, according to the BBC.

3. Taal volcano

Philippine's second most active volcano, Taal Volcano erupted on January 12, 2020, after 43 years of dormancy. Located just 70 km from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), the eruption spewed gases, ash, and lava, resulting in over 604 (362 domestic and 242 international) cancelled flights and affecting hundreds of travellers, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management.

4. Grímsvötn volcano

Iceland's Grímsvötn volcano erupted on May 21, 2011, sending an ash cloud that briefly disrupted air traffic in Norway and caused partial closures of Danish airspace, according to media reports. According to the European air traffic agency, around 500 flights had been cancelled over three days as the ash cloud spread over Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia.

5. Mount Agung volcano

Mount Agung in Bali erupted on November 21, 2017, following intense seismic activity and ground deformation that began in August. Over the weekend, the eruptions sent ash plumes soaring up to 6,000 metres (3.7 miles) into the sky. The airport reported that around 59,000 passengers were affected, with 445 flights cancelled, including 196 international services, according to Business Insider.

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