Mass Flight Cancellations After First Volcanic Eruption in 12,000 Years: "Ash Soars Up to 14 km"

Ethiopian Volcano Erupts for First Time in 12,000 Years
Volcanic Ash Spreads Across the Red Sea to the Middle East and South Asia
Multiple Indian Airlines Suspend Routes on the 25th

A volcano in northern Ethiopia, East Africa, has erupted for the first time in 12,000 years. As volcanic ash traveled across the Red Sea, reaching the Middle East, South Asia, and even China, some airlines were forced to urgently cancel flights.

A dense plume of smoke soared up to 14 km into the sky as the Haily Gubi volcano erupted in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Volcanic Ash Soars 14 km High... Spreads Across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman

According to Al Jazeera and other sources on the 24th (local time), the Haily Gubi volcano in the Afar region, about 800 km northeast of Addis Ababa, erupted for several hours on the morning of the 23rd, spewing ash and smoke. The column of volcanic ash soared up to 14 km high.

The nearby village of Afdera was blanketed in ash, and smoke spread across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman, affecting as far as northern India and Pakistan. Local authorities reported no casualties from the eruption, but noted that pastures were covered in ash, potentially impacting livestock herders.

According to the flight tracking site Flightradar24, the volcanic ash passed over Yemen and Oman and reached parts of Pakistan and northern India on the 25th (local time). The India Meteorological Department stated, "The ash cloud is moving toward China and is expected to disappear from Indian skies around 2 p.m. on the 25th."

Airlines Take Emergency Measures... Mass Cancellations of Flights Departing India

Satellite image of the Hailey Gubi volcano eruption in northern Ethiopia. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency

As a result of the volcanic eruption, Indian airlines Air India and Akasa Air canceled some flights on the 25th. Air India announced that, in accordance with guidance from Indian aviation authorities, it canceled a total of 11 flights on the 24th and 25th to conduct precautionary inspections of aircraft that flew over affected areas after the eruption. Akasa Air also canceled scheduled flights to Middle Eastern destinations-including Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates-during the same period.

The Haily Gubi volcano is located in the Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia, standing about 500 meters above sea level and approximately 800 km from the capital, Addis Ababa. The volcano sits within the Rift Valley, a region of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet. According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Haily Gubi volcano has had no recorded eruptions during the Holocene, which began about 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age.