Air travel chaos as volcanic ash clouds reach India; major carriers cancel flights

New Delhi: Air India and Akasa Air have cancelled their flights after a vast volcanic ash plume from recent activity in Ethiopia drifted across key flight corridors linking India with the Gulf. The airlines had previously issued travel advisories to passengers on their official X (formerly Twitter) handles.

The disruption escalated after ash clouds from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano began affecting high-altitude air routes between India and the Gulf, prompting both IndiGo and Akasa Air to suspend operations, while other carriers remained on alert.

Air India cancelled several international and domestic flights scheduled for November 25 as they undertook precautionary checks on aircraft that had recently operated over specific regions affected by the eruption:

25 Nov

AI 2822 – Chennai–Mumbai

AI 2466 – Hyderabad–Delhi

AI 2444 / 2445 – Mumbai–Hyderabad–Mumbai

AI 2471 / 2472 – Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai

The post on X further stated that Air India’s ground teams across the network were keeping passengers informed of their flight status and were providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation. Alternative travel was being made as soon as possible.

Akasa Air cancelled its international services to and from Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi on November 24 and 25. The airline said the ash generated by the eruption had created unsafe flying conditions along the affected routes.

“Following recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia and the resulting ash plume in the surrounding airspace, our flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24th and 25th November 2025 have been cancelled,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said.

Passengers were offered either a full refund or complimentary rebooking within seven days.

As the situation developed, Akasa Air said its operational teams were monitoring global aviation advisories, stressing that passenger safety remained its “utmost priority.”

IndiGo said it was coordinating with international aviation bodies to reduce inconvenience to passengers. As a precaution, its Kannur–Abu Dhabi flight (6E1433) was diverted to Ahmedabad when the ash drifted closer to Indian airspace.

IMD issues alerts

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the ash clouds are drifting towards China and are expected to clear Indian skies by 7.30 pm on Tuesday.

The IMD has been closely tracking satellite imagery, bulletins from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) and dispersion models.

Its Met Watch Offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata issued ICAO-standard Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) warnings to airports, which included instructions to avoid affected airspace and flight levels highlighted in the VAAC advisories.

The IMD said that continuous monitoring of meteorological and ash updates is being used for flight planning, including adjustments to routes and fuel calculations based on alternative paths.

Flights over the region may face rerouting, extended flying times or holding patterns, the Met Office added.

(With ANI inputs)