NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator, DGCA has instructed all airline operators to adhere to a volcanic advisory by the Airport Authority of India.
An official release from DGCA said that AAI and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre at Toulouse (France) have issued a warning on hazardous conditions due to recent volcanic ash affecting the Muscat Flight Information Region and surrounding areas. An ASHTAM (notification due to volcano) has been issued by them.
DGCA asked all flight operators the review of operational manuals.
The aviation regulators have also asked pilots, dispatchers and cabin crew to strictly avoid volcanic ash–affected areas and to make adjustments to flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations based on latest advisory, immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.
Dispatchers are expected to continuously monitor Volcanic Ash Advisory, NOTAM/ASHTAM updates, and meteorological data.
Flight operators must also avoid affected altitudes or regions as per the latest Volcanic Ash advisory and ASHTAM information, modify dispatch procedures, conduct post-flight engine and airframe inspections for any aircraft operating near affected as well as suspend or delay operations to impacted airports if conditions deteriorate.
Safety risk management by the airlines and 24x7 surveillance need to be undertaken by them, the advisory added.
In view of the DGCA advisory, several airlines, including Akasa Air, KLM, Air India and IndiGo, cancelled some of their flights on routes that cross the affected corridor. An Air India flight from Delhi to Tokyo was cancelled just before take-off.
Flights to Jeddah and Dubai from Kochi were cancelled as a precaution. IndiGo’s 6E1475 (Cochin–Dubai) and Akasa Air flight QP550 (Cochin–Jeddah) were the ones cancelled. An IndiGo flight from Kannur to Abu Dhabi was diverted to Ahmedabad as a precautionary step.
In a statement, Akasa Air said, “Following recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia and the resulting ash plume in the surrounding airspace, our flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24th and 25th November 2025 have been cancelled.”