NEW DELHI: As the city continued to brace for torrential rain on Thursday, Delhi airports and airlines issued travel advisories for the flyers, cautioning disruptions in flight operations. In the last three days, nearly 500 flights from Delhi and Hindon airports have either been delayed, cancelled or diverted to other cities due to poor visibility and inclement weather conditions, airport officials said.
“As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, Delhi is experiencing inclement weather conditions. There might be an impact on flight operations. Our on-ground teams are working diligently with all stakeholders to ensure your journey remains hassle-free. For the latest flight information, passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines,” the Delhi airport said in an advisory.
The IMD on Thursday issued a heavy rain alert over Delhi-NCR for a few hours, raising concerns about further disruption to air traffic. Airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India among others urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
SpiceJet, in an advisory on X, said, “Due to bad weather in Delhi, all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.” The airline also advised travellers to factor in extra time to reach the airport in view of waterlogging and traffic snarls across the city.
IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, also cautioned of possible delays. “With heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in Delhi, we’re seeing a chance of delays and slower traffic to and from the airport. While we can’t control the skies, we’re doing everything possible to keep your journey steady on the ground,” the airline said in a statement
“Please check your flight status and consider giving yourself a little cushion of time to reach the airport,” the statement added. Despite the bad weather, airport officials maintained that ground staff were coordinating closely with airlines to minimise inconvenience to passengers, though they admitted that operations were likely to remain affected as long as the heavy downpour persisted.
Heavy downpour continues to batter city
The capital recorded widespread showers for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, triggering widespread waterlogging and traffic snarls. The IMD said that these conditions are likely to remain as the city is set to experience an active monsoon phase over the next four days.
‘Goods worth lakh damaged’
The flood has also hit the local economy. Dozens of basement shops in the area were submerged, forcing the shopkeepers to watch helplessly as their goods worth lakh were damaged in the water. The entire stock is gone, locals said.
‘Inside lane was flooded as well’
Commuters were seen carrying their luggage and kids on their shoulders. The inside lane meant for buses was flooded, which is why all the buses were on the main road, leading to major chaos and traffic till the T-point leading to Rajghat.