Flight disruptions in Delhi amidst severe fog: 15 diversions, over 100 delays

The adverse weather conditions on Monday in Delhi caused poor visibility, leading to the diversion of 15 flights and delays for over 100 others at the Delhi airport, according to an official.

Airlines including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo alerted passengers via X about potential disruptions due to low visibility in the capital, which is also dealing with high pollution levels.

Of the 15 diverted flights, 13 were redirected to Jaipur, and one each to Dehradun and Lucknow. The diversions occurred between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. An official noted that some flights were diverted because their pilots lacked CAT III training, a certification enabling them to operate aircraft in extremely low visibility conditions.

The official further stated that over 100 flights experienced delays because of the weather. Despite the disruptions, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) announced on X early Monday morning that “low visibility procedures are in progress” and flight operations remained normal.

DIAL, which manages Indira Gandhi International Airport—handling approximately 1,400 daily flight movements—urged passengers to check with their respective airlines for updated flight information.

Air India advised passengers to allow extra travel time to the airport due to slow-moving traffic caused by the fog. “Poor visibility in Delhi and some parts of Northern India are affecting flight operations to and from Delhi today,” the airline posted Monday afternoon.

Similarly, SpiceJet warned in a morning post about potential disruptions to all arrivals and departures due to the weather. IndiGo also issued an advisory late Sunday night, cautioning passengers about delays in flight schedules and traffic disruptions due to the fog.

(With inputs from PTI)