Air India, Akasa suspend flights following Ethiopian volcano eruption

Air India has cancelled multiple flights and is carrying out precautionary inspections of aircraft following the eruption of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which has sent ash clouds drifting towards western India.

Since November 24, the carrier has grounded at least 11 flights, including domestic services between Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Kolkata, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

On November 25 alone, four flights were cancelled: AI 2822 (Chennai-Mumbai), AI 2466 (Hyderabad-Delhi), AI 2444/2445 (Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai), and AI 2471/2472 (Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai).

International carriers have also been affected. Akasa Air reported the cancellation of flights to destinations in the Middle East, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi, over the past two days. On November 24, Air India suspended seven international services, including flights from New York (JFK) and Newark to Delhi, and Dubai to Hyderabad.

Air India said on X that it is conducting safety checks on aircraft that flew over regions impacted by the volcanic ash. The airline added that passengers are being kept informed, and support such as hotel accommodation and alternative travel arrangements is being provided where necessary.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the ash clouds are expected to drift towards China and leave Indian airspace by the evening of November 25. Forecast models suggested that Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana could experience ash influence on November 25.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued advisories instructing airlines to avoid ash-affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight plans, and report any encounters with volcanic ash, including engine irregularities or cabin smoke and odour. The regulator also emphasised the need for thorough inspections and cleaning of airport infrastructure if ash contamination occurs, before resuming normal operations.

IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air have yet to release further updates on the situation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev