Air India, Akasa cancel flights after Ethiopia volcano erupts

NEW DELHI: Indian airlines Air India and Akasa Air said on Tuesday they were canceling some flights after ash plumes from a volcano eruption in Ethiopia disrupted operations.

Air India said it had canceled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to make precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over some locations after the eruption, following a directive to airlines from India’s aviation regulator.

Smaller peer Akasa said it had scrapped scheduled flights with Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled during the two days.

Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano sent ash plumes up to 14 km (8.7 miles) high after erupting on Sunday for the first time in recorded history, media said.

On Tuesday, the ash had covered parts of Pakistan and northern India, according to tracking website Flightradar24, after crossing Yemen and Oman.