Flight routes across the UAE and the Middle East region are being rescheduled this week after volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption drifted across the Middle East, prompting India’s civil aviation authority (DGCA) to issue a comprehensive safety advisory to all airlines.

The ash cloud has impacted routes passing through the Muscat Flight Information Region, forcing at least one aircraft to divert. A Kannur–Abu Dhabi IndiGo flight was rerouted to Ahmedabad on Monday, November 24, as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely in Gujarat.

The DGCA said that a Volcanic Ash Advisory and an ASHTAM have already been issued by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) and the Airports Authority of India, urging operators to avoid affected regions and altitudes.

Flight disruptions

• Indian carriers have issued cautionary alerts for travellers heading through Middle Eastern airspace.
• SpiceJet warned passengers that operations may be affected and advised those flying to/from Dubai (DXB) to check their flight status.
• Akasa Air and Air India also confirmed they are closely watching the situation while maintaining that there is currently no major operational impact.
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines cancelled its Amsterdam–Delhi (KL 871) and Delhi–Amsterdam (KL 872) services due to the ash cloud.

Mumbai airport has issued a similar advisory, asking passengers to stay in contact with their airlines.

What airlines have been told

In its advisory, the aviation regulator directed airlines to:

• Review operational manuals on volcanic ash and brief cockpit and cabin crew
• Reroute flights and modify planning based on the latest advisories
• Closely monitor meteorological updates
• Report any suspected ash exposure, including engine fluctuations or unusual smells
• Carry out post-flight inspections for aircraft flying through affected zones
• Activate internal safety-risk assessments
• Maintain 24/7 monitoring of satellite imagery and VAAC bulletins

Airports have also been told to inspect runways, taxiways and aprons for ash deposits and suspend operations if contamination is detected.

What triggered the disruption?

The Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on Sunday, its first eruption in nearly 10,000 years, sending a massive plume of ash across the Red Sea toward Oman and Yemen, with movement now being tracked toward northern India, according to VAAC updates.