NEW DELHI: Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi international (IGI) Airport were severely impacted as the city reported season’s worst smog on Monday leading to poor visibility. The airport witnessed 15 flight diversions and over 400 flight delays due to adverse weather and pollution. A total of 13 flights were diverted to Jaipur airport and one each to Dehradun and Lucknow, an official said.
“Some diversions were necessitated as certain pilots lacked training in CAT III operations, required for managing flights under extremely low visibility conditions,” the official added.
Airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo, also took to X to inform passengers about possible disruptions. “Poor visibility in Delhi and some parts of Northern India are affecting flight operations to and from Delhi today. Guests are advised to start early for the airport, as slow traffic may delay your movement,” Air India posted on the micro-blogging website.
SpiceJet shared, “Due to poor visibility in Delhi, all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected,” in an early morning post. IndiGo, in a Sunday night advisory, cautioned: “#6ETravelAdvisory: Fog is currently affecting visibility in Delhi, which may result in slow moving traffic and delays in flight schedules.”
To counter the low visibility due to thick smog, the Delhi Airport has taken a slew of measures an official said.
“All three runways are equipped with advanced CAT-III ILS and ALS to enable precision landing in low visibility conditions. Visibility sensors and RVR systems are also installed to provide real-time visibility data. Additionally, Forward Scatter Meter RVR systems are installed on runways 11L/29R and 27/09 to enhance visibility measurement accuracy. A dedicated taskforce of 180 non-operational staff is trained to support terminal operations during low visibility,” the official said. For the convenience of patients facing cancellations and delays, the airport has also taken several steps like additional counters for rebooking.