India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued an urgent advisory to airlines and airports after volcanic ash plumes from an eruption in Ethiopia disrupted flight operations, leading to several cancellations and changes in flight routes.
The ash cloud originated from the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, which erupted in late November, sending high-altitude ash thousands of kilometres across international air routes. The plume has drifted eastward toward the Arabian Sea and parts of western and northern India, posing a risk to aircraft.
As a result, carriers including Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM have cancelled flights to and from destinations in the Middle East and Europe. Some flights were diverted to alternate airports to avoid flying through ash-affected airspace.
DGCA Advisory and Safety Measures
- The DGCA has instructed airlines to avoid ash-affected flight paths and altitudes, adjust flight planning and routing, and closely monitor volcanic ash alerts and satellite data.
- Airlines must report any suspected ash encounters, such as engine issues or unusual cabin smoke, immediately.
- Airport operators are required to inspect runways, taxiways and apronsif ash contamination is suspected and take action before normal operations resume.
DGCA has emphasised that these steps are necessary to protect aircraft engines and other critical systems, as volcanic ash can be highly abrasive and dangerous even at high altitudes.
Even though international flights are still having trouble because of changing weather and ash clouds, most domestic flights are not facing many delays. Airport staff and airlines are watching the situation closely and changing their schedules when they need to.
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