Volcanic ash plumes: Carriers cancel flights; DGCA issues advisory to airlines, airports
New Delhi (PTI): Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday issued an advisory to airlines and airports to deal with possible disruptions due to the ash plumes from the volcanic activity in Ethiopia.
Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that cancelled some flights due to the ash plumes on Monday.
Ash clouds from the recent eruption of the HayliGubbi volcano in Ethiopia are impacting flight operations, and there are reports suggesting that clouds might also be drifting towards the western parts of India.
In a detailed advisory, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories.
Also, airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.
The DGCA noted that if volcanic ash affects airport operations, then the operator concerned must immediately inspect runways, taxiways and aprons.
Depending on the contamination, the operations may be restricted and cleaning procedures have to be completed before resuming movements, it added.
Operators have been asked to continuously monitor the situation related to the volcanic ash cloud and stay updated through satellite imagery and meteorological data, among other things.
"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," Akasa Air said in a statement.
The airline also said its teams will continue to assess the situation in compliance with international aviation advisories and safety protocols and take necessary actions as required.
In a post on X, IndiGo said, "Following the recent eruption of the #HayliGubbi volcano in #Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India. We understand that such news may cause concern, and we want to reassure you that your safety remains our highest priority."
"Our teams are closely tracking the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies. We are fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations," it said.
Sources said IndiGo cancelled some flights to the Middle East and Dutch carrier KLM cancelled its flight from Amsterdam to Delhi due to the volcanic ash plumes.
In a post on X late on Monday, Air India said, "Following the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, ash clouds have been observed over certain geographical regions."
"We are closely monitoring the situation and remain in constant touch with our operating crew. There is no major impact on Air India flights at this time," it said.
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FM Sitharaman launches 'VijAIpatha' labs in govt schools in Karnataka
Hampi (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday launched Cyient AI Labs (CyAILS) -- 'VijAIpatha', aimed at democratising access to Artificial Intelligence, STEM and Robotics education in government schools here.
In a series of posts on 'X', the minister's office shared pictures of the initiative launched at a girl's government school in Hosapete taluk and said that under the pilot phase, five world-class AI, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Robotics laboratories are being established in government schools.
Each lab will be equipped with high-performance computers, AI-ready software, robotics kits, IoT devices, sensors and secure broadband connectivity.
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"Aligned with NEP 2020, Digital India and Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi's mission of Viksit Bharat 2047, the programme integrates CBSE's AI curriculum and strengthens technology-enabled learning in public education," it said.
Focusing on rural and semi-urban India, the initiative introduces future technologies at the school level, helping build early digital fluency, computational thinking and innovation capacity among students, the minister's office said.
"Benefiting over 2,000 students and training more than 200 teachers, 'VijAIpatha' is a scalable CSR model fostering innovation, career readiness and grassroots digital empowerment," it added.
According to the office, the initiative has been designed as a scalable, replicable and sustainable model that can be adopted across districts and states in collaboration with government education departments, positioning it as a benchmark CSR model for a national AI education rollout.
