Flight services at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport were significantly impacted by dense fog and low visibility, leading to the cancellation of 10 flights, while more than 370 others were delayed.
According to Flightradar24, over 370 flights faced delays, with the average delay time standing at 26 minutes. However, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), in a post on X around 12 pm, stated that operations were running smoothly.
Around 1,300 flights land and take off at the IGI Airport daily, making operations heavily dependent on weather conditions. Low visibility caused by dense fog has disrupted flight operations not only in Delhi but also at several other airports across north India.
Air pollution levels in the national capital continued to raise concern on Sunday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 386—placing it in the “very poor” category—according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The overall air quality remained disturbing across the city, as 16 monitoring stations reported AQI readings in the “severe” range, while the rest showed “very poor” levels.
As per CPCB guidelines, AQI is classified as “good” (0–50), “satisfactory” (51–100), “moderate” (101–200), “poor” (201–300), “very poor” (301–400), and “severe” (401–500).
Weather conditions further compounded the situation. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius, about 1.3 degrees above the normal. Relative humidity stood at a high 91 per cent at 8.30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The IMD forecast the maximum temperature to hover around 17 degrees Celsius and issued a yellow alert warning of moderate fog.