Volcanic ash plumes: Air India cancels flights; conducts inspection of aircraft

Air India has cancelled at least 11 flights since Monday and is carrying out precautionary checks on those planes that had flown over locations that had ash plumes due to the volcanic activity in Ethiopia.

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.

Air India said it has cancelled four flights on Tuesday -- AI 2822 (Chennai-Mumbai), AI 2466 (Hyderabad-Delhi), AI 2444 / 2445 (Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai) and AI 2471 / 2472 (Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai).

On Monday, it had cancelled seven international flights, including AI 106 (Newark-Delhi), AI 102 (New York (JFK)-Delhi), AI 2204 (Dubai-Hyderabad) and AI 2290 (Doha-Mumbai).

Giving the flight details in a post on X on Tuesday, Air India said it is carrying out precautionary checks on those aircraft which had flown over certain geographical locations after the Hayli Gubbi volcanic eruption.

"Our ground teams across the network are keeping passengers updated on their flight status and are providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation. We are making every effort to arrange alternative travel at the earliest," the airline said.

There were no latest updates from IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air on the situation.

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.

In a detailed advisory on Monday, 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.

Also, airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.

DGCA noted that if volcanic ash affects airport operations, then the operator concerned must immediately inspect runways, taxiways, and aprons. Depending on the contamination, the operations may be restricted, and cleaning procedures have to be completed before resuming movements, it added.