A thick blanket of dense fog descended upon the national capital, severely disrupting air travel for thousands of passengers at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Monday. The seven-hour-long fog spell led to massive operational hurdles, resulting in widespread flight delays, cancellations, and diversions.
Visibility Plummets, Bringing Airport to a Near Standstill
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility at the airport was severely reduced, dropping to a mere 50 metres between 2 am and 8 am. Senior scientist RK Jenamani stated that visibility remained below 200 metres under dense fog conditions from 2 am to 9 am, marking this as the season's second most intense fog spell. The most intense episode this season was recorded on December 19.
The critical runway visibility range (RVR) was mostly between 125 and 175 metres across all runway points from 2:30 am to 8 am, creating challenging conditions for take-offs and landings.
Cascading Delays and Passenger Anguish
The low visibility triggered a domino effect on flight schedules throughout the day. Data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 revealed that over 550 flights were delayed, with an average delay of 25 minutes. Furthermore, 130 flights were cancelled, and eight flights destined for Delhi had to be diverted to other airports.
An airport official explained the technical challenges, noting that while pilots trained in CAT-III procedures can land with a minimum visibility of 50m, they need at least 125m for take-off. Flights without CAT-III trained crews had to wait on the taxiway, requiring visibility of around 500 metres. With RVR consistently below 200 metres, a ripple effect of delays was inevitable.
Passengers bore the brunt of the disruption, facing frustration due to last-minute schedule changes and missed connections. Sharanya Roy, an 18-year-old passenger, expressed her irritation after receiving a delay message for her Goa-Delhi IndiGo flight just 10 minutes before reaching the airport. Her flight eventually took off over 90 minutes late.
Another traveller, Dhirendra, took to social media platform X to voice his concern about repeated delays on his Lucknow-Delhi flight, worrying about his connecting flight from Delhi.
Airlines Cite North India Weather Woes
Responding to the crisis, budget carrier IndiGo acknowledged on Monday morning that low visibility at several airports across north India due to fog was responsible for the delays in flight movements. The situation highlights the annual winter challenge faced by aviation authorities and passengers in the region, reliant on advanced landing systems and precise coordination to mitigate weather-related disruptions.
