PMD Issues Warning as Ethiopian Volcanic Ash Drifts Into Pakistani Airspace

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an unprecedented aviation alert after volcanic ash from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi eruption drifted into portions of Pakistani airspace, prompting concerns over flight safety at high altitudes.

The rare advisory follows the first known eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in nearly 12,000 years. Located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, the volcano erupted for several hours on Sunday, sending ash columns soaring up to 14 kilometres into the atmosphere, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).

Ash Cloud Reaches Pakistani Skies

PMD official Anjum Nazir Zaigham confirmed that the ash mass was detected 60 nautical miles southwest of Gwadar at around 45,000 feet.

“Domestic jets typically fly between 34,000 and 36,000 feet, but international flights could face exposure near 40,000 to 45,000 feet where volcanic ash poses a risk to aircraft engines,” he said.

Zaigham noted that this marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that the Met Office has issued a warning related to volcanic ash. He added that while Karachi may see some influence of the ash plume, it will remain confined to very high altitudes and is not expected to affect ground conditions.

Transnational Drift Across the Region

Data from VAAC shows the ash cloud travelling across Yemen, Oman, India and parts of northern and southern Pakistan. Interactive plume-tracking maps indicate that the cloud will continue drifting over southern Sindh before moving northeast toward India.

The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program also confirmed that Hayli Gubbi has no recorded eruptions in the Holocene period, underscoring the exceptional nature of the event.

Eruption Footage Circulates Online

Unverified videos circulating on social media show dense white smoke emerging from the volcano. However, regional authorities in the Afar region have not yet provided details regarding potential casualties or displacement, and have not responded to media inquiries.

Volcanologist Simon Carn of Michigan Technological University reiterated that Hayli Gubbi’s reactivation is historically significant, noting there is “no record of Holocene eruptions” for the volcano.

As monitoring continues, aviation authorities are expected to remain on alert, with PMD closely tracking the ash plume’s movement across regional air routes to safeguard aircraft operating in affected corridors.