Dense fog disrupts air travel as Delhi airport, IMD issue advisories

Airlines like Air India, Indigo and SpiceJet issued travel advisories to passengers amid dense fog after over 300 flights were cancelled on Monday due to low visibility

Dense fog continued to disrupt daily life across several north Indian states on Tuesday, with Delhi waking up under a thick blanket of fog that sharply reduced visibility and affected air traffic and road movement. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said overcast skies and smoggy conditions were likely to persist through the day.

 

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport issued a fog advisory early on December 16, cautioning passengers about possible delays and disruptions. In a post on X, Delhi airport said flight operations were “steadily recovering”, but some arrivals and departures could still be affected.

 

Passengers were advised to check flight status with their respective airlines before leaving for the airport. The airport added that additional ground staff had been deployed across terminals to assist travellers.

Hundreds of flights cancelled

The impact of fog was most severe on Monday, when dense conditions over the National Capital Region led to large-scale flight cancellations and delays.

 

At least 300 flights were cancelled across northern India due to low visibility, while hundreds more were delayed, aviation industry executives told Business Standard. At Delhi airport alone, at least 228 flights were cancelled, which included 131 departures and 97 arrivals. The airport typically handles around 1,360 flights daily. At least five flights were also diverted to nearby airports as visibility worsened.

Airlines issue advisories

Several airlines issued travel advisories warning passengers of continued disruption.

 

Air India said dense fog across Delhi and parts of northern India caused air traffic congestion, parking bay constraints and a cascading impact on flight schedules, leading to delays and cancellations. The airline said it was assisting affected passengers with rebookings or full refunds in case of cancellations.

Citing the IMD’s forecast of similar fog conditions on Tuesday morning, Air India said it had proactively cancelled select flights and activated its Fog Care programme, offering complimentary rescheduling or full refunds without penalty.

 

IndiGo said winter fog in the early morning hours can slow flight movements across northern India. The airline advised passengers to monitor their flight status and said its teams were closely tracking weather conditions to minimise inconvenience.

 

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet also cautioned passengers about possible delays from fog-hit airports in north India.

Today's weather forecast

According to IMD, dense to very dense fog is likely during early morning hours across Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of the Northeast on December 16.

Light rainfall or snowfall is expected at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the coming days. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are likely at isolated locations over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal on December 16 and 17, while gusty winds of 30–40 kmph may affect parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

 

Minimum temperatures are expected to fall by around two degrees Celsius over northwest India in the next 24 hours, with no significant change forecast over Maharashtra, Gujarat, central India, and east and northeast India.

IMD safety advisory

In a post on X, the IMD urged commuters and the general public to exercise caution during dense fog conditions, advising:

• Drive at reduced speeds
• Use fog lights or low-beam headlights
• Maintain a safe distance between vehicles
• Avoid unnecessary travel during peak fog hours
• Stay updated with official weather and traffic advisories