Fog Disrupts Air Traffic at Delhi Airport
Dense fog severely disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Monday, leading to large-scale cancellations, diversions, and delays. At least 128 flights were cancelled, eight were diverted, and nearly 200 services faced delays, officials confirmed.
Airport authorities said 64 departing flights and 64 arriving flights were cancelled due to poor visibility conditions. Several flights struggled to land as fog reduced runway visibility during the early morning hours.
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Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates IGIA, said visibility conditions were slowly improving but warned that disruptions could continue through the day.
Nearly 200 Flights Delayed, Average Wait Over 20 Minutes
Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed that close to 200 flights were delayed, with an average departure delay of around 24 minutes. Slower aircraft movement on runways added to congestion as fog continued to blanket the region.
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, issued a travel advisory, urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
“Fog continues to persist across Delhi and several airports in northern India. Visibility remains reduced and flight movements are slower than normal,” the airline said in a post on X.
IGIA handles around 1,300 flight movements daily, making it one of the busiest airports in the country.
Red Alert as Delhi Wakes Up to Smog-Filled Morning
Delhi residents woke up to another harsh winter morning as dense fog and toxic smog covered large parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the capital, warning of extremely poor visibility.
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Visibility dropped sharply late Sunday night and remained low through the early hours of Monday. Travel across the city turned slow and risky as vehicles moved cautiously through thick haze.
Areas such as AIIMS flyover, Anand Vihar, Rohini, Wazirpur, and Sector 37 in Noida remained shrouded in smog, with headlights barely piercing the polluted air.
Air Quality Slips Back into ‘Severe’ Category
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply, with the overall AQI touching 403, placing it firmly in the ‘severe’ category. Pollution levels crossed 400 at 25 monitoring stations across the city.
Some of the worst-hit areas included:
- Vivek Vihar: 460
- Anand Vihar: 459
- Rohini: 445
- Wazirpur: 444
Experts warn that such pollution levels pose serious health risks, especially for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions.
Outlook Remains Challenging
Weather officials expect fog conditions to persist over the next few days, raising concerns over continued travel disruptions. Authorities have advised residents to limit outdoor activity and follow safety guidelines until conditions improve.
As winter tightens its grip, Delhi continues to battle a toxic mix of fog and pollution, disrupting daily life and transport across the capital.
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