NEW DELHI: Heavy rain that lashed Delhi on Friday afternoon caused severe inconvenience to flyers, both on the ground and in the air.
Two of the three terminals at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) suffered waterlogging in the forecourt and subway, forcing people to wade through water. Eleven incoming flights to Delhi, including an international flight, were diverted to neighbouring airports.
All roads leading to the airport witnessed huge traffic snarls, raising the possibility of many flyers missing their flights.
Multiple videos shared online showed passengers and staff rolling up their trousers above their ankles to wade through waterlogged areas. It took more than 45 minutes for airport staff wielding brooms to clear the water, a source said.
Multiple flyers took to social media to vent their ire and express shock at the country's premier airport being flooded.
Delhi airport sources claimed there was waterlogging at one terminal, T3, which lasted for 15 to 30 minutes. In repeated advisories released during the day, IGIA said, “The airport witnessed heavy rainfall this afternoon. As a result, the approach road and forecourt areas experienced water accumulation. The accumulated water was cleared within some time. The inclement weather also affected flight operators which led to delays and diversions of some flights.”
Incidentally, just a fortnight ago, Delhi airport was named the 11th busiest airport in the country by the Airports Council International. It was the only airport in India to figure on the list.
Eleven flights arriving in Delhi were diverted to Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.
The following flights were diverted to Lucknow: Air India flights from Ludhiana (AI 484) and Indore (AI 2516), and Hyderabad (AI 2541), as well as an Akasa Air flight from Bengaluru (QP 1821).
Flights diverted to Jaipur were Air India flight AI 1818 from Srinagar; IndiGo flights from Purnea (6E 6560) and Bengaluru (6E 869); Akasa Air flight QP 1872 from Pune; and Air India Express flight IX 1052 from Ranchi.
An SF Airlines Chinese cargo flight from Ezhou (O3157) was diverted to Ahmedabad, while an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad (6E 711) was diverted to Chandigarh.
Hundreds of flights suffered delays in arrivals and departures, ranging from a few minutes to more than 90 minutes.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast moderate rainfall at most places in Delhi, with heavy rain of 50-100 mm at a few locations, along with thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, during the following three hours.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert advising people to remain cautious as rain may lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas and underpasses. The weather office had earlier issued a red alert for intense rainfall in the national capital.
