Volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Haile Gebi eruption has moved out of Pakistan’s airspace and no longer poses any threat to aviation or public safety, the Pakistan Meteorological Department confirmed.
The Haile Gebi volcano erupted for the first time in recorded history, sending ash plumes soaring up to 14 kilometers (45,000 feet). The cloud drifted across Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia and eventually southern Pakistan at high altitudes before dispersing.
The Met Office assured that domestic flight operations remain unaffected and that continuous monitoring is underway to ensure safety.
Impact on India and regional aviation
In India, Air India and Akasa Air canceled multiple flights as a precaution. Air India grounded 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday for safety checks after some aircraft passed near affected zones.
Akasa Air temporarily suspended flights to Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi in the two days following the eruption.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash cloud is now drifting toward China and is expected to fully clear Indian skies by 1400 GMT on Tuesday.
Authorities in both Pakistan and India emphasized that the ash poses no danger to people on the ground. Aviation bodies across the region continue to track the cloud to maintain safe air operations. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 confirmed that the ash plume has already passed over Pakistan and northern India after moving across Yemen and Oman.
