Mumbai: Air travel across North India remained heavily disrupted for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, as a thick blanket of dense fog enveloped the region, severely curtailing visibility and leading to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport was the epicenter of the chaos, with the knock-on effects rippling across the national aviation network.
While conditions saw a marginal improvement compared to the previous day’s paralysing ground stop, operations at India’s largest aviation hub, the IGI airport, were far from normal. Low visibility procedures (CAT III) remained in effect for most of the morning, drastically slowing aircraft movement. By midday, over 126 flights were cancelled, including 77 arrivals and 49 departures, at the Delhi airport alone, adding to the previous day's tally which had exceeded 220.
Scores of additional flights faced significant delays, with departure times for many flights averaging a delay of 35 minutes even as the afternoon progressed. Airport sources indicated that while arrivals appeared smoother by the afternoon, the ripple effect from previous delays and cancellations was still being keenly felt.
The primary cause for the disruption was the persistent dense fog, which reduced runway visual range (RVR) to operational minimums for extended periods during the peak morning hours, making take-offs and landings challenging or impossible for many aircraft.
The severe operational constraints in Delhi, a major hub for all domestic and international carriers, immediately created a cascading effect across the country. Affected routes included sectors connecting to major airports like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Ahmedabad.
Major airlines issued multiple advisories urging patience and caution among travellers. Carriers like IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet asked passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Air India stated that dense fog caused air traffic congestion and parking bay constraints at Delhi airport, forcing delays that had a widespread impact on its network.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation released an advisory on social media, confirming that adverse weather was impacting operations and stating that the ministry was actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with stakeholders to mitigate passenger inconvenience.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast suggested that the smoggy conditions and dense fog in the early morning hours were likely to persist across the Delhi-NCR and several northern states for the immediate future, warning travellers to plan for continued disruptions.
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