Early Saturday morning, dense fog and low visibility disrupted operations at Delhi airport for the second consecutive day, resulting in 19 flight diversions and delays for over 200 flights.
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, temporarily suspended arrivals and departures at the airport during the morning. According to an official, 19 flights were diverted between 12:15 am and 1:30 am due to poor visibility. Among these, 13 were domestic, 4 international, and 2 non-scheduled flights. Operations have since returned to normal, the official added.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a statement on X at 6:56 am, advising passengers: “While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.” The CAT III facility allows aircraft to operate in low visibility conditions, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is equipped with this system.
Update issued at 11:30 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/IvqVDlXY9V— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 4, 2025
IndiGo also posted on X at 1:05 am, stating, “#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility.” Air India similarly updated passengers at 1:16 am, highlighting that dense fog was affecting flight operations in Delhi and other parts of northern India.
The fog had also impacted flights on Friday, delaying over 400 services. By Saturday morning, the situation remained critical, with visibility issues reported not just in Delhi but also in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Srinagar, Guwahati, and Patna. IndiGo posted an update at 10:58 am, assuring passengers, “We assure you that our teams are working diligently to assist all impacted customers, ensuring your journey resumes as soon as the weather improves”.
Reports said that over 80 trains were delayed, with the Varanasi Vande Bharat Express running 14 hours late and the New Delhi Vande Bharat Express delayed by over four hours. Additionally, 51 flights had to be rerouted due to dense fog in Delhi.
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According to the Northern Railway, 22 trains were delayed by around eight hours, while 59 trains were delayed by up to six hours.
(With inputs from PTI)
