Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport faced significant disruptions on Monday due to dense fog, leading to the cancellation of 228 flights and delays of over 800. The severe weather conditions marked the season's first major spell of winter fog in the national capital, causing widespread chaos for travelers.
Visibility plummeted to zero in the early morning hours, suspending departures for nearly five hours between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m.. During this period, visibility remained below 100 meters, making it impossible for flights to take off safely. While landings were still permitted due to the airport's advanced CAT III instrument landing system, many incoming flights were delayed or diverted because of congestion and a lack of parking space. Five flights were diverted to other airports.
The ripple effect of the morning's disruptions continued throughout the day, with delays persisting even after the fog cleared around noon. According to the live flight tracking website Flightradar24, 260 arrivals and 400 departures were delayed as of Monday evening. Some arriving flights were late due to weather conditions at their origin airports, which further compounded the delays at IGI.
Airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, issued travel advisories urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. IndiGo, which has faced numerous cancellations since early December, cancelled 145 flights due to poor visibility. Air India also cancelled over 100 flights. Both airlines assured passengers that their ground and customer service teams were working to assist travelers and manage schedules efficiently.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation acknowledged the disruptions and stated that Air Traffic Control and ground teams were working to minimize the impact on passengers. The ministry emphasized that passenger safety remained the top priority.
Passengers stranded at the airport took to social media to express their frustration, with many describing scenes of chaos and confusion. Some passengers reported being stuck inside aircraft for as long as 4 to 10 hours while waiting for departure. As of 9 a.m., 127 flights with passengers on board were waiting at parking bays and taxiways.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that visibility began to decrease sharply on Sunday night, reaching zero at Safdarjung, the city's base station, by 12:30 a.m.. At Palam, the lowest visibility recorded was 50 meters at 4 a.m.. Visibility improved after 9 a.m., reaching 300 meters at Safdarjung by 9:30 a.m. and 700 meters by 10:30 a.m..
Airport officials explained that pilots trained in CAT III procedures can land an aircraft with a minimum visibility of 50 meters, while takeoffs require a minimum visibility of 125 meters. Flight movements were being conducted under CAT III conditions due to the reduced visibility.
