Air India, Akasa cancel flights after Ethiopia volcano erupts

Volcanic ash plumes from Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano have triggered significant disruptions in Indian civil aviation, leading to flight cancellations by Air India and Akasa Air. The eruption, marking the first recorded activity for Hayli Gubbi, propelled ash up to 14 kilometers high, prompting India's aviation regulator to issue directives for precautionary aircraft inspections.

Air India proactively cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to facilitate essential safety checks on aircraft that had traversed areas potentially affected by the ash cloud. Concurrently, Akasa Air, a prominent Indian low-cost carrier, scrapped scheduled services to key Middle Eastern destinations, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi, over the same two-day period. These cancellations directly impacted passenger travel plans and necessitated immediate adjustments to airline schedules.

The ash cloud, which had already spread across parts of Pakistan and northern India after traversing Yemen and Oman, is now tracking towards China. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipates the ash to clear Indian airspace by 1400 GMT on Tuesday, potentially allowing for a resumption of normal flight operations. Airlines maintain heightened vigilance, continuously monitoring meteorological updates to mitigate further operational impacts from this significant natural event.