Over 300 flights delayed at IGI airport as thick ‘severe’ smog blankets Delhi; IndiGo issues advisory

Delhi air pollution news: It’s that time of year again when Delhi is shrouded in thick, grey smog, confining everyone indoors and forcing masks onto every face. Apart from the fundamental right to breathe clean air becoming a challenge, airports and commuters face difficulties in maintaining their usual routines. Road traffic slows and flights are delayed as visibility is affected. On Thursday, November 14, over 300 flights to and from New Delhi were delayed due to thick smog, as per tracking website Flightradar24 data.

Flightradar24 showed 88 per cent of departures and 54 per cent of arrivals were delayed at the Delhi airport. The pollution level today is ranked in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day of the season, with a score of 430 on an index of air quality.

FYI: An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, 401 and 450 “severe” and above 450 “severe plus”.

“Of 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, 32 recorded air quality in the 'severe' category, with readings above 400. These stations include Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, IGI Airport, ITO, Mandir Marg, North Campus, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, and Pusa among others,” an official said on Thursday.

According to reports, pollution in Delhi is likely to stay in the ‘severe’ category on Friday and will then slightly improve to ‘very poor’ in the coming days. Meanwhile, Delhi has topped the list of most polluted cities in the world, as per the LIVE data by aqi.in. As per the data, the air quality in the national capital stood in the ‘hazardous’ category with AQI at 451.

IndiGo has issued an advisory for its travellers, sounding delays in the arrivals and take offs.

In a post on X, IndiGo said, “This morning, winter fog may impact flights to/from #Amritsar, #Varanasi & #Delhi. Do keep a tab on your flight status https://bit.ly/31paVKQ before heading to the airport. Also, please allow additional travel time as road traffic may move slower than usual due to low visibility.”