New Delhi |
Today, dense fog and severe air pollution are heavily impacting Delhi weather, leading to significant flight disruptions. Delhi’s weather remains cold and hazy throughout the day. Temperatures are expected to hover between a high of 24°C and a low of 7°C. While visibility is expected to improve slightly by mid-afternoon, the IMD warns that dense fog will likely return by nightfall.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for the region as visibility dropped to a mere 50 meters in key areas including Palam and Safdarjung. The extreme conditions forced airport authorities to implement Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) andCAT III landing protocols early Monday morning.
Despite these advanced technical measures, the scale of the disruption remains massive:
- Cancellations: At least 128 flights have been cancelled so far (64 arrivals and 64 departures).
- Delays: Approximately 200 flights are facing significant delays with nearly 65% of scheduled departures affected.
- Diversions: Eight flights were forced to divert to alternative airports like Ahmedabad and Jaipur.
Major carriers like IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa have been impacted and high cancellation rates are expected to continue through the day. In a travel advisory, IndiGo noted that “fluctuating visibility” has made operations slower than usual, prioritizing safety over schedule.
Additionally, Ministry of Civil Aviation and airport authorities have strongly advised passengers to check their flight status with their respective airlines before heading to the airport and allow extra travel time. Airlines are making operational adjustments and offering options for rebooking or refunds for affected journeys.
