Ethiopian volcano Hayli Gubbi erupts, disrupts air traffic across region

Volcano Hayli Gubbi in Ethiopia erupted for the first known time in 10,000 years on Sunday, sending plumes of thick smoke and ash into the sky and affecting aviation routes thousands of miles away. The long-dormant volcano, located in the Afar region in the northeast, roared back to activity with an explosion that villagers said shook the ground and darkened nearby settlements.

Local administrator Mohammed Seid said that the eruption blanketed surrounding villages in layers of dust and ash. While there have been no reports of casualties, he said the local population of livestock herders faced immediate danger because grazing grounds are being smothered by ashfall.

Residents described the initial blast as a sudden and frightening explosion. One villager, Ahmed Abdela, said it felt like a bomb had gone off, throwing up a column of smoke and ash that rose rapidly above the volcano’s flank. Others reported a sharp tremor immediately before the ash cloud appeared, followed by a persistent rumbling that continued for hours.

Images captured by NASA satellites showed dense grey plumes rising high into the atmosphere before drifting across the Red Sea. Weather-monitoring agencies confirmed that the volcanic clouds travelled over Yemen, Oman, parts of the Arabian Peninsula and into Pakistan and India. The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, which tracks airborne volcanic particles, issued updates through Monday as the ash mass continued its eastward movement.

Pakistan’s Meteorological Department said ash and dust from the eruption entered the country’s airspace late on Monday. Aviation authorities warned aircraft to avoid affected corridors and advised airlines to monitor advisories because volcanic ash can damage engines, reduce visibility and affect avionics.

In India, Air India cancelled several domestic and international flights, saying the airline needed to carry out precautionary inspections of aircraft that had recently flown over specific air routes exposed to the Hayli Gubbi ash plume. The airline issued the update on X and said it was coordinating with aviation regulators and meteorological agencies.

India’s Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi, already experiencing severe air pollution, was not expected to see significant effects from the eruption because the ash cloud was travelling at a high altitude. The department said satellite models indicated the plume would continue to drift rapidly eastwards and disperse as wind patterns changed.

Background to geological setting

Hayli Gubbi lies roughly 800 km northeast of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Rising about 500 m, it forms the southernmost component of the Erta Ale Range, a volcanic chain running through the Afar region. This is one of the most active geological zones in the world, positioned along the East African Rift where the African and Arabian tectonic plates meet.

The rift system is gradually pulling the land apart, creating fissures, deep valleys and frequent seismic activity. Volcanologists have long identified the Afar region as an area where new oceanic crust is being created, making it an important natural laboratory for understanding early-stage continental breakup. The area hosts multiple active and dormant volcanoes, including Erta Ale, known for maintaining a persistent lava lake for much of the past century.

Although Hayli Gubbi had shown no recorded activity in thousands of years, scientists note that dormant volcanoes in rift zones can awaken suddenly when magma chambers refill or when fault lines shift. Preliminary data from regional seismic stations suggested increased microearthquakes during the week before the eruption, but these were not widely reported.

Impact on agriculture, local communities

Villages in the surrounding district depend heavily on livestock herding and small-scale agriculture. Local officials said ashfall had coated pasture lands, wells and irrigation channels. Livestock were moved away from the densest ash, but authorities warned that long-term grazing shortages could follow if the layer of volcanic material persists or becomes compacted by rain.

Health centres in the region also prepared for possible respiratory and eye-related ailments caused by ash particles. Dust masks were distributed in some settlements and advisories were issued urging residents to stay indoors wherever possible. Local schools suspended outdoor activities while assessing air quality.

Aid groups working in Afar said access to remote communities remained difficult because windblown ash had reduced visibility on rural tracks. The regional government said it was monitoring the situation and assessing whether evacuations would be necessary if ashfall intensifies.

Aviation risk, regional response

Volcanic ash poses particular hazards to aircraft engines because fine particles can melt at high temperatures, fuse onto engine components and cause power loss. For this reason, global aviation bodies issue rapid advisories when eruptions occur in areas affecting international air corridors.

The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre continued issuing position maps through Tuesday. Observatories in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Oman also provided updates on the altitude and direction of the ash plume. Flight path changes were reported by pilots in Middle Eastern airspace and several airlines implemented route diversions to remain clear of the affected zone.

In India, airport authorities said operations remained normal except for the Air India cancellations. Flight information systems were updated to alert pilots of possible high-altitude haze from the drifting plume. Aviation meteorologists said the ash was expected to thin out considerably before reaching eastern India due to dispersal at upper atmospheric levels.

Scientific assessments underway

Geologists will continue monitoring the volcano to determine whether the event marks isolated activity or the beginning of a new eruptive phase. Early estimates suggest the eruption was driven by a rapid release of steam and gases as magma interacted with underground water channels, a common trigger for explosive volcanic behaviour in rift regions.

The Ethiopian Geological Survey said teams would be deployed to collect ash samples, measure gas emissions and assess changes in the volcano’s structure. International agencies tracking global volcanic activity have added Hayli Gubbi to their active observation lists.

The Afar region’s history of volcanic activity suggests more episodes are possible, though scientists emphasised that eruptions on this scale do not always indicate prolonged danger. Authorities said they would maintain alerts until seismic and atmospheric readings return to normal.