Dense morning fog over the national capital led to significant air travel disruption on Monday, with six flights being diverted to Jaipur International Airport after they were unable to land at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The incident caused considerable inconvenience to passengers, some of whom endured over seven hours of travel time for their original destinations.
Morning Fog Triggers Multiple Diversions
The diversions occurred between 5:45 am and 10:00 am as low visibility conditions gripped Delhi. According to an official from Jaipur airport, the facility provided all necessary support for the smooth handling of the unexpected arrivals. The diverted flights included two international and four domestic services.
The affected flights were:
- SpiceJet SG012 from Dubai to Delhi
- SpiceJet SG88 from Bangkok to Delhi
- Air India Express IX1282 from Mumbai to Delhi
- Two Akasa Air flights from Bengaluru to Delhi
- One non-scheduled aircraft
Officials confirmed that for all diverted flights, passengers were required to remain onboard the aircraft at Jaipur. No deboarding was permitted, as the airlines waited for weather conditions to improve in Delhi.
Passenger Ordeals and Cascading Delays
The disruptions led to harrowing experiences for many travelers. Rahi Soningra, a passenger on the diverted Air India Express flight from Mumbai, took to social media platform X to detail the ordeal. "Got in an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Delhi today morning at 5:30am. The flight got rerouted to Jaipur due to visibility issues, finally landing at Delhi Airport at 11:55am. It's been 50 minutes since, still haven't deplaned...seven hours in flight," Soningra posted.
The ripple effects of the fog and diversions were felt on other routes as well. Khushboo Bhatia, scheduled to travel from Delhi to Jaipur on an IndiGo flight (6E170), reported major delays and poor communication. "...waiting for flight since 11am at 3pm... they cancelled the flights after boarding. Now waiting at terminal 1, no support from staff," Bhatia stated in a post directed at the airline.
Airlines Advise Passengers to Check Status
In light of the unpredictable winter weather, several major airlines proactively advised passengers scheduled to travel through North Indian airports, especially Delhi, to verify their flight status before leaving for the airport. This is a standard precaution during the winter months when fog frequently impacts operations in the region.
Once the fog cleared in Delhi later in the morning, all the diverted flights were able to depart from Jaipur and complete their journeys to their original destination. However, the episode underscores the vulnerability of air travel to weather conditions and the importance of passenger preparedness during the winter season.
