Ethiopia volcano eruption live updates: Air India, Akasa Air cancel flights amid ash plumes in Delhi, North India

EThiopia volcano extravasation unrecorded updates: A thickly cloud of ash tree from the Hayli Gubbi volcanic extravasation, which reached India Tuesday night, prompted aviation authorities to issue guidelines, impacting flight operations in India.The plume of ash reached Delhi around 11 pm, and drifted over Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana. According to IMD's latest update, it will move towards China next, and is expected to leave India by 14:00 GMT (7:30 pm local time).The long-dormant volcano in northern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday, sending ash plumes across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a detailed advisory on Monday, 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.Which airlines have cancelled flights?Air India has cancelled multiple flights, both domestic and international, in view of the ash influence, mostly over North India. The airline has initiated precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over regions affected by the volcanic eruption. Air India cancelled eleven flights after the eruption.The airline cancelled d AI 106 (Newark-Delhi), AI 102 (New York-Delhi), AI 2204 (Dubai-Hyderabad), AI 2290 (Doha-Mumbai), AI 2212 (Dubai-Chennai), AI 2250 (Dammam-Mumbai) and AI 2284 (Doha-Delhi) for November 24.For November 25, AI 2822 (Chennai-Mumbai), AI 2466 (Hyderabad-Delhi), AI 2444/2445 (Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai) and AI 2471/2472 (Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai) were cancelled.Akasa Air also cancelled all flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi amid the ash influence. These flights were scheduled for November 24 and November 25.DGCA advisory to airlinesIn a detailed advisory, the Directorate General of 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.The airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour. The aviation agency said that if volcanic ash affects airport operations, then the operator concerned must immediately inspect runways, taxiways, and aprons.Meanwhile, a Mumbai airport official said that flights were re-routing via Pakistan airspace. “The Pakistan airspace is shut for Indian airlines, hence the Indian airlines are expected to be impacted. We have started keeping a record of this and are monitoring the situation,” an official said.What have weather agencies said?• The ash cloud entered Gujarat on Tuesday night and moved towards Rajasthan, affecting several states including northwest Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab, according to IndiaMetSky Weather.• The cloud, which is moving at speeds between 100-120 km/h over North India, will later impact the Himalayas as it leaves India, ANI news agency quoted the meteorological service as saying. It is travelling at altitudes between 15,000-25,000 feet, and may also go up to 45,000 feet.• It contains volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and small particles of glass and rock, according to IndiaMetSky Weather. Due to its constituents, the cloud may make the sky appear darker and also impact air traffic.• The agency said the ash plume would not negatively impact the air quality index in Indian cities, but can affect the sulphur dioxide level in the hills of Nepal, particularly the Himalayas, and the adjoining belt Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh.• The cloud, currently stretching from Oman-Arabian sea region into plains of north and central India, has low chances of resulting into ashfall in places it travels over.