Delhi flights update Highlights: Red alert for dense fog; airport warns of flight disruptions tomorrow

Updates to this blog has been stopped. Please keep an eye on Li vemint for more updates.

The IMD has upgraded its orange alert for fog in Delhi to red. This alert will now remain in effect till Tuesday afternoon

The weather department has issued an orange alert for Delhi on December 30.

At least 128 flights were cancelled, eight diverted, and nearly 470 services delayed at the Delhi airport due to dense fog on Monday.

An official said 64 departures and 64 arrivals were cancelled, while 8 flights were diverted due to dense fog and low visibility conditions at the Delhi airport.

Information on the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that nearly 470 flights were delayed.

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday issued a passenger advisory warning that dense morning fog is expected tomorrow, which could impact flight operations.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, low visibility conditions are likely at the airport due to persistent fog. As a result, some flight arrivals and departures may be affected.

SpiceJet on Sunday issued a travel advisory warning passengers of possible flight disruptions due to expected bad weather and poor visibility across several cities. The airline said departures and arrivals at Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Darbhanga, Patna, Guwahati and Bagdogra may be affected, along with their consequential flights.

On Monday, TV anchor and DJ Nikhil Chinapa took to Instagram to highlight the worsening smog in the national capital.

In a late-night video from Delhi’s streets, he showed how dense smoke and fog had drastically reduced visibility.

"It's 2:15 in the morning in Delhi, and we are supposed to fly to Goa at 5:30 in the morning, and we're not sure if the plane will take off," Nikhil said in the video.

Delhi-NCR remained shrouded in dense fog on Tuesday, with neighbouring cities Noida and Ghaziabad witnessing deteriorating air quality. The thick fog pushed pollution levels higher in parts of Noida, where air quality slipped into the ‘severe’ category. Sector-125 recorded an AQI of 408, while Sector-116 touched 438.

Ghaziabad fared marginally better, though air quality there remained in the ‘very poor’ range, with AQI levels between 301 and 400.

Airlines faced baggage handling system glitch at the Delhi airport on Sunday afternoon and the issue was resolved later. The sources said there was a glitch with the baggage handling system for around 15-20 minutes starting around 1.45 pm on Sunday, news agency PTI reported.

Delhi airport issued a passenger advisory around 1.15 pm on Monday, stating that flight operations are running smoothly as runway visibility has improved, although some services may still face disruptions. “Flight operations are running smooth at Delhi Airport as the runway visibility has improved. However, some flight departures or arrivals for certain destinations may be impacted. For the latest flight schedules, please contact your airline or visit the official airport website. We wish all travelers a safe and pleasant journey,” the airport said.

IndiGo in its travel advisory issued at 11:20 am, said, "Foggy conditions remain in place across Delhi and several airports in northern India, with visibility yet to improve fully. As a result, the earlier impact on flight movements is likely to extend into the noon hours, and some delays may continue."

IndiGo cancelled nearly 80 flights on 29 December, "Due to bad weather, flights to/from Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kolkata, Hindon, Dehradun, and Jammu are impacted," the website states. The airline cancelled around 40 flights at Delhi airport and 40 others across its network.

The dense fog blanketing the national capital is expected to clear soon as visibility will likely improve to around 1000 meters by 1:30 PM, ANI reported.

Delhi's IGI Airport operator DIAL in a post on X said, “Runway visibility at the airport is improving; however, some flight departures and arrivals may be impacted.”

Delhi Airport in a statement to ANI provided an update over disruption of flight operations due to dense fog at IGI Airport. As many as 64 arrivals and 64 departures from Delhi Airport were cancelled today, 29 December, while 8 flights were diverted.

FlightRadar24 shows 64% flights witnessed delayed departures at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday with the average delay time being around 26 minutes.

Nearly 128 flights were cancelled and 8 diverted amid low visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport on a winter morning on 29 December.

As per FlightRadar24 data, over 150+ flights were delayed and 6 cancelled on Monday morning.

At 8:30 AM, visibility improved from 50 m to 100 m.

Lowest Visibility observed over Delhi (up to 0830 IST):

• Palam: 50 m ( upto 8:00 IST)

• Safdarjung: 50 m

Improvement at 8:30 IST:

• Palam: improved to 100 m

• Safdarjung: continue to 50 m

IndiGo in its latest advisory said, “Foggy conditions are present across Delhi and several airports in northern India this morning. If reduced visibility conditions persist, flight departures and arrivals may be impacted as the day progresses.”

It added, “We are closely monitoring the situation and are making operational adjustments wherever required to keep journeys moving as smoothly as possible.”

Delhi Airport in its passenger advisory issued at 9:00 AM said, “Flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT Ill conditions due to dense fog, which may result in delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience. For the latest flight updates, please contact your respective airlines. We sincerely regret for any inconvenience caused.”

Ministry of Civil Aviation in a post on X stated, “Due to fog conditions across parts of Northern India, flight operations at select airports may be impacted, leading to possible delays. Passengers are advised to stay updated through official airline communication channels, allow additional time for airport arrival and check-in procedures, and plan their travel accordingly.”

Airline customer helpline numbers are listed below:

IndiGo: 0124 497 3838

Air India: 011 6932 9333

SpiceJet: +91 (0)124 498 3410 / +91 (0)124 710 1600

Air India Express: +91 124 443 5600 / +91 124 693 5600

Akasa Air: 9606 112 131

Alliance Air: 044 3511 3511

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues a nowcast warning at 8:30 AM for ‘very dense fog.’ A red alert warning is in place.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest weather bulletin stated, “Mainly clear sky. Dense fog at a few places, with very dense fog at isolated places during themorning hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are likely to be in the ranges of 21°C to 23°C and 7°C to 9°C, respectively. The minimum temperatures will be near normal (-0.5°C to -1.5°C), and the maximum temperatures will be above normal (1.0°C to 3.0°C) over Delhi.”

The aviation watchdog DGCA urged airlines to use CAT-IIIB-compliant aircraft fleet during this period of dense fog, PTI reported. Category III B-compliant aircrafts are those planes that are equipped with specialised technology to enable landings at a runway visual range of 50 metres. Meanwhile, CAT-III A allows landings at a runway visual range of 200 metres.

A Delhi-bound Air India Express flight from Goa was diverted to Ahmedabad due to low visibility because of dense fog over the capital city. According to ANI, the flight took off from Goa’s Mopa Airport at 11:55 PM and was scheduled to land at Delhi's IGI Airport Terminal 1 at 2:35 AM. However, adverse weather conditions prompted the diversion to Ahmedabad.

As per Flightradar24 data, nearly 65% flights saw delayed departure on Monday at IGI Airport with average delay time being 31 minutes.

Delhi registered an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 403 at 7:05 AM, falling in ‘Severe’ range, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. After 5 days, the air quality returned to hazardous levels. As many as 25 out of 38 monitoring stations across Delhi-NCR recorded AQI above 400, that is in ‘severe’ category. Anand Vihar and Vivel Vihar recorded AQI reading above 450, that falls in ‘severe+’ range.

Warning against flight delays due to dense fog, Air India in a post on X stated, “Weather forecast for tomorrow morning indicates dense fog with low visibility in parts of northern India, including Delhi, which is likely to impact flight operations. We have taken proactive steps to minimise disruptions (learn more at http://bit.ly/4agYVyF). However, in the event of unexpected delays, diversions, or cancellations, please rest assured that our ground teams will extend all necessary assistance.”

Air India further mentioned that passengers of fog affected flights can change their flights without any extra charge, “In addition, our ‘FogCare’ initiative allows passengers booked on certain flights that are likely to be affected during the fog window to receive advance alerts on their registered phone numbers, with the option to change their flights without any extra payment or seek a full refund on their bookings without any penalty.”

SpiceJet in a post on X stated, “#WeatherUpdate: Due to bad weather (poor visibility) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via http://spicejet.com/#status.”

Delhi Airport in its passenger advisory issued at 7:00 AM said, “Flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT Ill conditions due to dense fog, which may result in delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience. For the latest flight updates, please contact your respective airlines. We sincerely regret for any inconvenience caused.”

IndiGo in its travel advisory said, “#Delhi and #Hindon (Airport) continue to remain wrapped in chilly winter air and lingering fog this morning. The fluctuating visibility has led to changes in flight schedules, and operations may be slower than usual as conditions evolve. Our teams on-ground are prioritising safety and compliance with visibility requirements."

It added, “We recommend keeping a tab on your flight status via http://bit.ly/3ZWAQXd If your flight is impacted, you can conveniently rebook your journey or claim a refund through https://goindigo.in/plan-b.html.”

Amid low visibility, train services were also impacted which suffered hours long delay due to foggy weather condition.

Several flights were delayed and cancelled at IGI airport due to unfavourable weather conditions on 29 December. Dense fog blanketing the capital city continues to disrupt operations.

On Monday morning at 5:30 AM, Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded very low visibility dropping to just 50 metres.