The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an unprecedented advisory after ash clouds from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano drifted into Pakistani airspace, raising concerns about aviation safety.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region roughly 800 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours—its first known eruption in nearly 12,000 years. The volcano, which rises about 500 metres, sits within the geologically active Rift Valley, where two tectonic plates diverge.
According to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), the eruption propelled thick ash plumes up to 14 kilometres into the atmosphere. The drifting ash cloud has since travelled across Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan.
PMD official Anjum Nazir Zaigham told that volcanic ash was detected 60 nautical miles southwest of Gwadar at an altitude of 45,000 feet. He said the Met Office issued two advisories, as international flights could face potential risk between 40,000 and 45,000 feet, while domestic flights typically operate between 34,000 and 36,000 feet. Volcanic ash can severely damage aircraft engines and reduce visibility, making timely alerts critical.
Zaigham noted that this is the first time in Pakistan’s history that the Met Office has issued a volcanic ash alert. Monitoring began late Sunday as ash movement became detectable over the Arabian Sea.
Responding to whether Karachi might be affected, he clarified that the ash would remain at very high altitudes and would not impact the surface. VAAC’s interactive map indicates the cloud will continue drifting over southern Sindh before moving northeast toward India.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed Hayli Gubbi has no known eruptions during the Holocene. Social media videos reportedly showing the eruption remain unverified, and Afar authorities have yet to provide information on casualties or displacement.
