The story so far: Last week, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, ordered airlines to brace for the impact of volcanic ash travelling from Ethiopia after volcano Hayli Gubbi erupted for the first time in 12,000 years.

How did it travel?

Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia erupted on November 23 for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of ash up to 14 km into the sky, and across the Red Sea towards Yemen and Oman. It even drifted towards Iran. The volcanic ash reached India’s western border on November 24 at 5.50pm and moved out of the country’s airspace by 10.30pm on November 25. Moving at around 100-120 km/hour at an altitude of 15,000 to 25,000 feet the plume carried volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and tiny particles of g

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