Airfares soar due to smog, shut runway

Smog in the national capital, coupled with a runway closure at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, threw flight schedules haywire on Wednesday, too. Fares have also surged as there has been an increase in the number of people trying to move out of the city. Air travel data shared by an online travel portal for the next few days summed up the mood. Fares on incoming evening flights from Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for Wednesday and Thursday are skyrocketing, with one-way fares running beyond Rs 25,000. Thursday evening flights from Bengaluru and Mumbai are costlier at around Rs 27,000.

There were delays of up to two hours as only one of the three runways was operational. Sources at the IGI Airport said due to low visibility on the shorter runway, 9/27, they could only use runway 10/28 in the morning. The third runway, 11/29, is shut for three days for maintenance. The official added the second runway was opened after visibility improved. 

“Due to air traffic congestion in Delhi, departure delays up to 90 minutes are expected at Delhi airport till 1500 hrs,” Jet Airways said in a tweet.