Ethiopian volcanic ash reaches India, hitting flight ops

Ash clouds from volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached parts of India on Tuesday affecting flight operations but it had no impact on the weather or air quality, according to government agencies.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash plumes are drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm on Tuesday.
The IMD and the civil aviation ministry said they are closely monitoring the situation.
Some flights were cancelled and many were delayed due to the ash cloud, the ministry said.
Earlier in the day, Air India cancelled 13 flights, including some international services, as some of its aircraft that flew through the affected regions underwent checks.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the IMD, said the impact was limited to higher skies.
“The volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere and it is affecting flight operations. It has no impact on air quality or weather. The ash cloud is drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30 pm,” Mohapatra said.