Did the Ethiopian volcanic eruption worsen Delhi's air pollution?

No. IMD Director General M. Mohapatra clearly stated that since the volcanic ash was observed only in the upper troposphere at 8.5-15 km altitude, it had no impact on air quality and weather. Delhi's poor air quality is from local and regional pollution sources.

Why were flights canceled if the ash didn't affect ground-level air?

Volcanic ash is catastrophic for aircraft engines even at high altitudes. The tiny glass and rock particles can melt inside hot engines and cause complete engine failure. Airlines including Air India, Akasa, and IndiGo canceled flights as a safety precaution.

How long did the volcanic ash stay over India?

According to IMD, the ash cloud reached Delhi around 11 PM on Monday, November 24, and was expected to move towards China and leave India by 7:30 PM on Tuesday, November 25—less than 24 hours total.

What is Delhi's current air quality situation?

Delhi's AQI is currently fluctuating between 415 to 575 at various monitoring stations, classified as 'Hazardous' to 'Severe'. The city has experienced zero days within WHO's safe air quality limits in 2025.

How high did the volcanic ash reach?

The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Toulouse reported that ash reached altitudes of 49,000 feet (approximately 15 kilometers), well above normal flight altitudes.

Satellite imagery capturing the ash plume from the Hayli Gubbi volcano eruption in Ethiopia after 12,000 years, drifting across the Red Sea toward India. The high-altitude ash cloud entered Indian airspace over Gujarat and Delhi-NCR, posing risks to aviation but showing no measurable impact on surface-level air quality or Delhi’s AQI levels. — ethiopia-volcano

Delhi Air Pollution and Ethiopian Volcanic Eruption: Will Hayli Gubbi Ash Worsen India’s Air Quality Crisis? (2025)

On 23 November 2025, Ethiopia’s long-silent Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending an ash and SO₂-rich plume up to 10–15 km above the surface. As the plume drifted across the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula, it eventually entered western and northwestern Indian airspace, including Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR....