(Eds: Recasting intro)New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) Dense smog hampered visibility atthe Delhi airport today, affecting operations and leading toover 300 flights being delayed by up to two hours.
Poor visibility rendered one of the runways inoperableduring the morning hours, leaving airport officials with justone airstrip of the total three to handle as many as 45incoming and outgoing flights every hour.
Sources at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airportsaid that due to low visibility on runway 9/27, they couldonly use runway 10/28 in the morning.
The third runway 11/29 is shut from today for three daysfor maintenance.
The sources said that the second runway was opened aftervisibility improved.
An airport official said that "most departures" weredelayed through the day.
The sources said that many morning flights wererescheduled for non-peak hours in the evening, with travelplans for many passengers going for a toss.
The India Meteorological Department said that runwayvisibility between 7am and 8am was less than 200 metres andimproved around 11am.
"Due to heavy air traffic congestion at #Delhi, departuredelays up to 90 minutes are expected at Delhi airport till1900 hours," Jet Airways informed passengers on Twitter.
"Flights to and from Delhi may get delayed by up to 2hours due (to) runway closure for maintenance," Vistaratweeted.
Around 7 am, four flights of IndiGo, SpiceJet, JetAirways and Finnair had to do a go-around or abort landing.
These include a flight each of IndiGo, SpiceJet, Jet Airwaysand Finnair, according to the airport official.
At least one IndiGo flight was diverted to Jaipur becausethe pilots were not trained to operate the plane under poorvisibility conditions.
The airport had already curtailed the total number offlights because of the maintenance work planned on Runway11/29 and airlines had cancelled many flights between November7 and November 9.
As a result, the airport will be handling only 70 percent of the flights it witnesses everyday -- down from 1,100to 800.
This means passengers will have fewer flight options tobook and an increase in demand from travellers.
Delhi's air quality was at the season's worst today dueto a combined effect of smoke from stubble burning andmoisture. Visibility levels plunged as a thick blanket of hazehung low over the city. PTI JC SMNSMN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.