New Delhi, India — Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were severely disrupted on Tuesday morning as dense fog and low visibility blanketed the national capital, forcing major schedule changes and travel chaos for passengers.
According to airport and weather officials, 118 flights were cancelled — including both arrivals and departures — while 16 aircraft were diverted to alternate airports such as Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Lucknow due to poor runway visibility.
Meteorological Department (IMD) reported early-morning visibility dropping to dangerously low levels, with fog reducing sightlines to just a few dozen metres in places. A yellow alert was issued for Delhi, and the fog also contributed to delays for more than 130 other flights throughout the day.
Delhi Airport operator DIAL stated that flights equipped with CAT-III low-visibility landing systems continued operations, while others faced cancellations or diversions to ensure safety amid adverse weather conditions.
Civil aviation authorities have urged passengers to check flight statuses with airlines before departing for the airport and allow extra travel time. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also instructed carriers to comply with passenger facilitation norms — including providing timely updates, meals for delayed passengers and rebooking or refunds for cancelled flights.
The fog-related disruption comes amid wider winter weather challenges across northern India, with commuter trains and road transport also facing delays due to extremely low visibility.
Reported by Neha Jaiswal ✈️🌫️
