New Delhi: India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday assured passengers that flight operations across the country remain stable and unaffected, despite precautionary rerouting caused by volcanic ash drifting eastward from Ethiopia. The eruption on November 23 led to the formation of an ash cloud that briefly affected airspace over parts of India.
In an official statement, the ministry said it is closely coordinating with Air Traffic Control, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), airlines, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to monitor the situation in real time. The AAI has issued necessary NOTAMs, and airlines have updated affected flights accordingly.
“Operations across India remain smooth, with only a few flights rerouted or descended as a precaution. Passenger safety is our top priority, and we continue to track the ash cloud closely,” the ministry added.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the volcanic ash plume, which entered Gujarat on Monday and briefly impacted flight paths over Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Haryana, and Punjab, is now moving towards China. “The ash cloud is expected to exit Indian airspace by 7:30 pm today,” he confirmed.
