The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on November 25 alerted stakeholders to the NOTAM notification issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
A NOTAM or ‘Notice to Air Missions’ is an official alert that provides critical information about changes or hazards in the National Airspace System (NAS) that may affect air traffic.
It was issued after the eruption of the HayliGubbi volcano in Ethiopia sent clouds of ash and volcanic plumes across the continent towards India.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash plume is expected to clear the Indian sky by 7:30 pm on November 25 and move to China.
What did MoCA state?
In its post dated November 25, the ministry said it is ensuring coordination among all aviation authorities and that operations across India remain smooth.
“Following the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia on November 23 and the eastward movement of the ash plume, MoCA – along with ATC, IMD, airlines and international aviation agencies – is ensuring seamless coordination,” it said.
The MoCa post added: “AAI has issued the necessary NOTAM and all affected flights have been kept informed. Operations across India remain smooth with only a few flights diverted or downgraded as a precaution. There is no cause for concern at this time. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide timely updates to ensure the safety of passengers.”
About the Ethiopian volcanic eruption of Hayli Gubbi
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted for several hours on Sunday. This is its first eruption in 10,000 years.
The ash plume from the volcanic eruption moved over large parts of northwest India late on November 24, sweeping across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR and Punjab.
The IMD offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata today issued a SIGMET warning as per the ICAO standard, which is a severe weather warning. It also advised airports to avoid specific airspace segments and flight levels identified by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC).
(TagstersransLate)Volcanic Eruption
