Delhi airport: 19 flights diverted, over 200 delayed as dense fog hits operations

New Delhi: As many as 19 flights were diverted at the Delhi airport early Saturday morning and more than 200 flights delayed as low visibility due to dense fog impacted operations for the second straight day.

The country's largest airline IndiGo had temporarily put arrivals and departures on hold at the airport early in the morning.

An official said 19 flights were diverted at the airport between 12.15 am and 1.30 am due to reduced visibility.

Out of them, 13 were domestic, 4 international and 2 non-scheduled flights. More than 200 flights were delayed and operations have returned to normal now, the official added.

"While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X at 6.56 am.

Update issued at 06:55 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/7i1yPFW3AK

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 4, 2025

CAT III facility allows aircraft to operate in low visibility conditions. Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital is operated by DIAL.

"#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility," IndiGo said in a post on X at 1.05 am on Saturday.

#6ETravelAdvisory: With winter in full swing, many regions in Northern India are experiencing varying fog conditions. On some days, fog may be dense, while on others, lighter fog could still impact flight schedules. (1/2)

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 3, 2025

Air India said in an update on X at 1.16 am that poor visibility due to dense fog was impacting flight operations in Delhi and parts of northern India.

A thick blanket of fog had enveloped Delhi on Friday as well, delaying more than 400 flights.

In an update on X at 10.58 am, IndiGo said dense fog continued to affect visibility in Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Srinagar, Guwahati and Patna, even during daytime.

"We assure you that our teams are working diligently to assist all impacted customers, ensuring your journey resumes as soon as the weather improves," it said in another post at 11 am.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Dense fog continues to affect visibility in #Delhi, #Chandigarh, #Amritsar, #Srinagar, #Guwahati and #Patna, even during daytime hours. We understand that the resulting delays and changes to your travel schedule may be inconvenient.

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 4, 2025