A volcanic ash cloud from Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano reached northwest India, disrupting visibility and flights. The DGCA issued an advisory urging airlines and airports to stay alert, while Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM cancelled several services as authorities monitored the shifting ash
The DGCA said a Volcanic Ash Advisory and an ASHTAM have already been issued by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre and the Airports Authority of India, and asked operators to avoid all affected regions and altitudes.
IndiGo Airlines issued an advisory to passengers following the disruption, informing them that delays may continue across Delhi and a few other airports in the northern region until the issue is fully resolved.
Engineers have maintained that they will only issue flight clearances once completely satisfied with an aircraft's safety, asserting that no aircraft departs without being declared fully airworthy.
The airport on Thursday said that a total of 17 flights were grounded shortly after 10 pm (local time) affecting nearly 3,000 passengers. In addition, 15 arriving flights were diverted to the German cities of Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Frankfurt, as well as Vienna in neighbouring Austria, the
The flight disruptions follow a major escalation on Monday after Iran reportedly launched multiple missiles targeting US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar--the largest US military installation in the region, according to a CNN report.
Social media posts highlighted the lack of communication and poor management by Air India staff, with many passengers expressing outrage over the absence of updates on flight statuses and boarding gates.
With the 15th edition of Aero India scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from February 10 to 14, Kempegowda International Airport has announced temporary flight disruptions between February 5 and 14 due to airspace restrictions.
Several flights operating from Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport have been cancelled or diverted due to adverse weather conditions in Chennai and Tirupati caused by Cyclone Fengal.
"#6ETravelAdvisory: The weather conditions remain largely unchanged and continue to be unfavourable, with flights to/from #Chennai, #Tuticorin, #Madurai, #Tiruchirappalli & #Salem still impacted," the airline posted on X on Wednesday.
"#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to adverse weather conditions, flights to/from #Chennai, #Tuticorin, and #Madurai continue to be impacted, while #Tiruchirappalli and #Salem might now also be affected," the airline posted on X.