Srinagar ~ Ash clouds from a major volcanic eruption in Ethiopia drifted into parts of India on Tuesday, disrupting flight operations across several regions, though authorities confirmed there was no impact on local weather or air quality.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash plumes-currently moving eastward-are expected to clear Indian skies by 7:30 pm on Tuesday. The clouds, detected in the upper troposphere, affected aviation routes over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana.

IMD and the civil aviation ministry said they are maintaining continuous monitoring as precautionary measures were activated across airports and airlines.

Flight operations saw significant disruption, with seven international flights cancelled and 12 delayed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport alone. Air India cancelled 13 flights since Monday after seven of its aircraft that flew through affected air corridors were taken for precautionary checks. These aircraft was cleared for service on Tuesday.

The disruption followed the eruption of the Hayli Gubbi shield volcano in Ethiopia's Afar region on Sunday, which sent ash plumes rising nearly 14 km (45,000 ft) into the atmosphere. Strong winds carried the ash across the Red Sea, Yemen, Oman, and the Arabian Sea, eventually reaching western and northern India.

IMD said its Met Watch offices in Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata issued ICAO-level SIGMET warnings, advising airports and airlines to avoid affected airspace and altitude levels. Continuous satellite monitoring, dispersion models, and advisories from Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAAC) informed route adjustments and fuel planning.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation assured that there was“no cause for concern” and that coordination between ATC, IMD, airlines, and global aviation agencies was underway. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) also issued a NOTAM alerting pilots and operators.

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