General

Dense fog impacted flight activities at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday morning, resulting in the cancellation of 128 flights and the diversion of eight others, according to airport sources. The cancellations included 64 flights arriving and 64 departing from the busiest airport in the country. Visibility dropped significantly across the national capital and parts of Northern India, which caused the disruptions. The airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), issued a notice saying, "Due to ongoing dense fog, flight operations remain under CAT III conditions, which might lead to delays." They mentioned that teams are collaborating with stakeholders to reduce passenger inconvenience. At airports that meet Category III standards, planes with special landing systems and trained crews can operate in very low visibility. However, this restricts the number of flights that can be managed during severe fog. The Ministry of Civil Aviation also released a notice indicating that flight operations at some airports in Northern India might be impacted by fog, which could cause delays. Airlines have also warned of possible disruptions. IndiGo posted on X, advising passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow extra travel time since fog might also affect road traffic. They noted, "Fog continues to linger over Delhi and several northern Indian airports. Visibility is still low, which is causing slower flight movements and some delays. We will keep managing operations based on the current conditions, sequencing departures and arrivals for smooth operations." In recent weeks, several days of low visibility have led to delays, diversions, and cancellations, especially in the early morning hours.