Indian civil aviation regulator warns of flight disruptions over volcanic ash clouds from Ethiopia

India's civil aviation regulator has advised airlines and airports to deal with possible disruptions of services due to the ash plumes following a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, prompting at least three carriers to cancel some flights.

Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that cancelled some flights due to the ash plumes on Monday.

Ash clouds from the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia flying at high altitudes are impacting flight operations and there are reports suggesting that clouds might also be drifting towards the western regions of India.

In a detailed advisory issued on Monday evening, the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash–affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories.

Airlines have also been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke or odour.

The DGCA noted that if volcanic ash affects airport operations, then the operator concerned must immediately inspect runways, taxiways, and aprons.

Among others, operators have been asked to continuously monitor the situation related to the volcanic ash cloud and stay updated through satellite imagery and meteorological data, among others.

Indigo airlines said in a post on its X that it is "fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations."

Reports said IndiGo cancelled some flights to the Middle East and Dutch carrier KLM also cancelled its flight from Amsterdam to Delhi due to the volcanic ash plume issue. End