NEW DELHI: Dense fog for five hours early Monday morning in New Delhi disrupted flight operations completely. A total of 228 domestic flights, 131 departures and 97 arrivals, were cancelled up to 9 pm at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) alone due to low visibility.
Five flights, including two international flights, were diverted to Jaipur.
Inclusion of cancellation of connecting flights takes the figure to 317.
According to an airport official, “We had dense fog between 4.30 am and 9.30 am. Hence, only two flights could take off during that period. On a normal day, we have 120 flights taking off during the 5 hours. However, the landing of flights did take place.”
The runway visual range (RVR) was less than 125 metres. “As per DGCA guidelines, the minimum RVR required for airplanes to take off is 125 metres. Flights can land when there is a visibility of 100 metres, and hence most flights were able to land,” he said.
There was a tense situation all around the airport as flights kept landing regularly and had to be sent to the remote bays for parking. The available bays were all occupied by flights unable to take off.
Indigo announced an overall cancellation of 172 flights, all domestic ones, on its website due to the Delhi weather. Air India had cancelled around 100 flights, while Air India Express has announced that 45 flights have been impacted across its network, including of cancellation of flights connecting passengers from those destinations.
Flights to and from Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Kolkata, Patnagar, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Hyderabad figured among the cities where flights were cancelled.
SpiceJet said two of its international flights to Delhi, one from Bangkok and another to Dubai, were diverted to Jaipur, according to its spokesperson.
Akasa Air announced that two flights across its network, both from Bengaluru to Delhi (QP 1359 and QP 1811), were diverted to Jaipur. While QP 1359 reached Delhi after the diversion three hours later, QP 1811 landed four hours later.
Passengers were offered full refunds for their tickets by all airlines.
The Delhi airport, earlier in the morning, issued a travel advisory for passengers on Monday morning, December 15, warning that flight operations may experience disruptions.
"Due to dense fog, flight operations may experience disruptions. We are working closely with all stakeholders to minimize inconvenience to passengers. For the latest flight updates, passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused," it said in a post on social media platform X.
IndiGo also issued an advisory, informing passengers of flight cancellations and delays.
"Dense fog continues to affect visibility at Delhi and other airports across Northern India, leading to delays and changes to flight schedules. Prolonged low visibility during the morning hours has impacted air traffic movement, and as a result, some flights have been cancelled to ensure safe and compliant operations through the rest of the day. We understand how inconvenient this can be, especially when travel plans are important. Please be assured that our teams across airports are working continuously to manage operations as smoothly as possible, and keep you informed as the situation evolves," it said.
The national capital on Monday morning remained enveloped in a thick layer of smog, with the city’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, firmly within the higher end of the ‘severe’ category.
Out of 40 air quality monitoring stations across the capital, 38 reported ‘severe’ air quality, while two stations recorded ‘very poor’ levels. Jahangirpuri emerged as the most polluted area, registering an AQI of 498, the highest among all stations.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI reading between 401 and 500 is classified as ‘severe’, posing serious health risks.
On Sunday, Delhi’s AQI had already surged to 461, marking the city’s most polluted day of the winter season and the second-worst air quality recorded in December so far.
Pollution levels were further aggravated by unfavourable meteorological conditions.
