The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia erupted on Sunday after nearly 12,000 years, sending an ash cloud that reached India’s northwestern states by Monday evening.
The ash plume affected Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab, disrupting flights and darkening skies in parts of these regions.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued advisories to airlines to avoid ash-affected zones, leading to cancellations from Indian carriers including Air India, Akasa Air, and IndiGo.
Officials noted limited impact on ground-level air quality but emphasised aviation safety risks. The ash cloud continued to drift eastward, expected to clear Indian skies by Tuesday evening.
Ash Cloud Arrival and Impact on Indian Airspace
The Hayli Gubbi eruption generated towering ash columns rising up to 14-15 km high, which high-altitude winds carried across the Red Sea and Arabian Sea towards India.
The ash cloud entered India through Gujarat, quickly spreading across Rajasthan, northwest Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Punjab at altitudes between 15,000 and 45,000 feet. IndiaMetSky Weather and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) closely monitored the plume, noting its movement at approximately 100-120 km/h.
The plume contained volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and microscopic glass and rock particles, creating hazy conditions and reduced visibility in several areas but posing minimal consequences for surface air pollution.
The aviation sector experienced major disruption due to the ash cloud’s hazardous nature to aircraft engines. The DGCA swiftly issued advisories instructing airlines to avoid flying through the affected airspace and adjust flight routes and fuel planning accordingly.
Indian airlines including Air India, Akasa Air, and IndiGo cancelled or diverted multiple flights, especially those operating in and out of Mumbai, Delhi, and key Middle Eastern destinations. Airport officials reported rerouting challenges caused by Pakistan’s closed airspace to Indian carriers.
Airlines implemented mandatory inspections for any suspected ash engine encounters to ensure flight safety.
Background on Hayli Gubbi Volcano and Eruption Context
The dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region within the East African Rift Zone, stunned scientists by erupting explosively on November 23, 2025, after being silent for nearly 12,000 years.
This long period of dormancy had led many to consider it inactive, but recent geological studies reveal that volcanic systems can remain quietly active underneath for millennia. Deep underground, molten rock, gases, and crystals gradually accumulated in its magma chamber.
A key trigger for the eruption was the intrusion of fresh, hotter magma from deeper inside the Earth, which reheated and pressurised the magma chamber. This increased internal pressure, along with the formation of expanding gas bubbles as the magma ascended, led to a violent explosive eruption.
Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano-a type characterised by broad, gentle slopes mostly formed by lava flows-situated where multiple tectonic plates (African, Somali, and Arabian) are pulling apart at a rate of about 0.4 to 0.6 inches annually.
This tectonic rifting thins the Earth’s crust and allows magma to rise towards the surface. Though there had been no recorded eruptions for about 12,000 years, satellite images and ground measurements suggested subtle volcanic activity in recent months.
These included ground uplift and increased gas emissions, signaling that magma was moving beneath the surface. The eruption sent ash plumes soaring up to 14-15 km high, a rare and powerful event for this volcano type and this region.
Scientists also believe that small earthquakes and other geological stresses can weaken the crust and open pathways for magma to escape, acting as additional triggers for the eruption.
Due to its remote location, the eruption has not caused casualties but has spread ash across the Red Sea and into parts of India, impacting air quality and aviation safety thousands of kilometres away.
The eruption of Hayli Gubbi after such a long dormancy illustrates how volcanoes considered extinct or dormant can suddenly reactivate with significant force, highlighting the importance of continuous volcanic monitoring worldwide.
Understanding the processes beneath Hayli Gubbi helps scientists assess volcanic risks globally, especially for other long-dormant volcanoes, by revealing that deep-earth changes often precede sudden reawakening events.
This new eruption will provide valuable data on magma composition and volcanic dynamics in this geologically active region and challenges previous assumptions about volcanic inactivity.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This extraordinary event reminds us of the invisible threads linking diverse geographies and communities through shared environmental phenomena.
The Logical Indian stresses harnessing scientific monitoring, transparent communication, and international collaboration to manage such transboundary natural events effectively.
Aviation safety protocols and public advisories minimized harm while calming fears amid uncertainty.
We advocate for fostering empathy, reasoned discourse, and proactive preparedness in the face of environmental challenges beyond our immediate control.
