Ethiopia volcano
New Delhi: At least 7 international flights were cancelled and more than 10 overseas flights delayed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday as ash plumes from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia impacted airlines’ operations.
Air India has cancelled 13 flights since Monday.
Ash clouds from the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia are impacting flight operations, and there are reports suggesting that clouds are drifting towards the western parts of India.
An official said 7 international flights, including arrivals and departures, were cancelled and 12 international flights were delayed at the Delhi airport due to the impact of the volcanic ash plumes.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital is the country’s largest airport, handling over 1,500 flight movements daily.
There was no immediate update about the situation on Tuesday from other Indian carriers.
A thick haze hung over Delhi as the city’s air quality remained ‘very poor’ amid concerns that ash clouds from the volcanic activity in Ethiopia may worsen pollution levels in the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the ash clouds are drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm on Tuesday.
Forecast models indicated ash influence over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, the IMD said.
According to the morning air quality bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday at 360, after recording 382 on Monday.
One of the monitoring stations, Rohini, recorded ‘severe’ air quality with a reading of 416, according to the Sameer app developed by the CPCB.
The air quality is expected to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the next few days.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe.’
On the weather front, the minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, 2.3 notches below the season’s average, while the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 27 degrees Celsius, with a forecast of mist and moderate fog.
This post was last modified on November 25, 2025 3:27 pm