Why has a volcano 4,000 kms away led to flight disruptions in India?

At Delhi’s IGI airport, several major international flights to places such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Jeddah, Helsinki, Kabul and Frankfurt were delayed.

Several Indian airlines, including Air India and Akasa Air, on Tuesday cancelled a number of flights on Tuesday after ash from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia affected operations. Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano released ash up to 14 km high after it erupted on Sunday for the first time in recorded history.

At Delhi’s IGI airport, several major international flights were delayed. (Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times)

A thick cloud of volcanic ash moved across northwestern India on Monday night, passing over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR and Punjab, and lowering visibility in many places. According to IndiaMetSky Weather, the ash plume has started reducing over North India and is heading towards China before thinning out in the upper atmosphere.

Track latest updates related to Ethiopia volcano eruption here.

Why are Indian airlines cancelling flights?

• The ash plume, which was sent up into the atmosphere during the volcano's eruption, swept across the Red Sea toward Oman and Yemen before shifting eastwards, according to reports. It moved at a speed of 100-120 km/h toward North India.
• The ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached India on Monday night. It reduced visibility and affected air traffic as it moved east across the country. The ash cloud was expected to move towards China and clear Indian skies by 7:30 pm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• At Delhi’s IGI airport, several major international flights to places such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Jeddah, Helsinki, Kabul and Frankfurt were delayed. At least 7 international flights were cancelled and more than 10 overseas flights delayed at the Delhi airport, as per a PTI report.
• Air India said it cancelled 13 flights on Monday and Tuesday to carry out precautionary checks on aircraft that had passed over some areas after the eruption.
• Akasa Air said it cancelled flights to Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi that were planned for the two days.
• IndiGo issued an advisory on Monday evening saying its teams were watching the situation closely in coordination with international aviation bodies. SpiceJet also issued an advisory on Monday evening saying volcanic ash reported over parts of the Arabian Peninsula could affect flight operations for aircraft flying through those areas.
• The ash entered Indian airspace at around 6.30 pm on Monday and darkened the sky, which led airlines to cancel or divert flights.
• As the cloud approached Indian airspace, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued an advisory on Monday asking airlines to stay clear of areas affected by volcanic ash and review routing, fuel planning and flight levels based on updated information.