Air travel faced major disruptions for the second day in a row at Vijayawada International Airport. Thick fog blanketed the airport and runway on Monday, causing significant delays for several flights. The poor visibility also forced the cancellation of one IndiGo Airlines flight heading to Visakhapatnam.
Multiple Flights Experience Lengthy Delays
Airport authorities confirmed that four key flights were delayed by approximately two hours. The affected services included IndiGo flight 6E 7084 from Chennai, IndiGo flight 6E 7201 from Hyderabad, Air India flight AI 2571 from New Delhi, and Air India Express flight IX 2875 from Bengaluru. All were bound for Vijayawada.
Specific Arrival Times Reveal Extent of Delays
The two IndiGo flights, both originally scheduled to land at 7:10 AM, arrived much later. The Chennai flight touched down at 11:20 AM, while the Hyderabad flight arrived at 10:52 AM. The Air India flight from New Delhi, which was due at 8:15 AM, finally landed at 10:01 AM. Similarly, the Air India Express flight from Bengaluru reached the airport at 11:02 AM instead of its planned 9:00 AM arrival.
IndiGo Cancels Visakhapatnam Flight
In a more severe action, IndiGo Airlines cancelled its flight 6E 7128 to Visakhapatnam. The airline cited the dangerously low visibility at Vijayawada airport as the reason for this cancellation, directly impacting passengers' travel plans.
Weather Department Issues Visibility Alert
The local weather department has issued an alert for commuters in the region. They warned that visibility levels could drop to as low as 300 metres due to the persistent foggy conditions. This alert covers NTR, Krishna, and Guntur districts, highlighting the widespread nature of the weather issue.
The consecutive days of fog-related disruptions underscore the challenges faced by aviation during winter months in this region. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for real-time updates before heading to the airport.
