BHUBANESWAR: Flight services at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) were partially disrupted on Tuesday morning as dense fog blanketed the city, significantly reducing visibility across several localities.
Sources said dense fog and poor visibility on the runway led to delay of at least six flights by around 30 to 40 minutes, putting passengers through inconvenience. Similarly, BPIA sources said four inbound flights to Bhubaneswar from different cities were diverted to other airports owing to the poor weather condition.
IndiGo, in its travel advisory, also stated that low visibility over Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam had impacted flight schedules. “We’re keeping a close watch on the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly. We request that you stay updated on your flight status,” the airline posted on X.
“Hoping clearer skies help us serve you better soon and thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time,” the airline further wrote, assuring that its teams were there to assist passengers.
IMD officials said visibility in the state capital stood in the range of 50 to 200 metre at multiple locations. Dense fog conditions also prevailed in parts of Angul, Cuttack, Puri and Paradip, they said.
On the day, officials of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre issued yellow warning stating dense fog was likely to occur in 10 districts for the next two days. “Intense fog is likely to occur in parts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Angul and Dhenkanal districts on February 18 and 19 morning,” they said.
The weather officials predicted shallow to moderate fog in parts of 17 districts including Balasore, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput and Rayagada.