Indian airlines Air India and Akasa Air said on Tuesday they were cancelling some flights after ash plumes from a volcanic eruption in Ethiopia disrupted operations.

Air India said it had cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to make precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over some locations after the eruption, following a directive to airlines from India's aviation regulator.

Smaller peer Akasa said it had scrapped scheduled flights with Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled during the two days.

The ash cloud is moving towards China and is expected to clear Indian skies by midnight on Tuesday Hong Kong time, the India Meteorological Department said in a statement.

Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano sent ash plumes up to 14 kilometres high after erupting on Sunday for the first time in recorded history, according to media reports.

On Tuesday, the ash had covered parts of Pakistan and northern India, according to tracking website Flightradar24, after crossing Yemen and Oman. (Reuters)