Dense fog grounds 200 flights for second straight day in northern India

IndiGo, India's largest carrier, stated on its website that 113 flights were cancelled on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions in and around the national capital region

Dense fog continued to disrupt flight operations across Northern India for the second day running on Tuesday, with around 200 flights cancelled in the region and hundreds more delayed, industry sources said.

 

At the Delhi airport, about 131 flights were cancelled by 5.40PM on Tuesday.

 

“Due to low visibility, 52 departures and 79 arrivals have been cancelled at the Delhi airport between 12AM and 5.40PM on Tuesday,” a source said.

 

The Delhi airport handles around 1,360 flights a day.

 

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, said on its website that 113 flights were cancelled on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions in and around the national capital region.

 

“As winter sets in, early mornings across northern India can bring fog that may occasionally slow down flight movements. We wanted to share this gentle heads-up in advance, so you can plan with ease and check your flight status (on the website) before heading to the airport,” IndiGo stated on X.

 

“Please be assured that our teams are well prepared and closely monitoring weather conditions. Wherever possible, we are making thoughtful adjustments on the ground to reduce inconvenience and ensure any waiting time is as comfortable as possible,” it added.

 

Air India said on X late Monday night that the India Meteorological Department had forecast fog conditions on Tuesday morning similar to those on Monday, with significantly reduced visibility expected, especially during the morning hours.

 

“Accordingly, we have proactively cancelled select flights scheduled for Tuesday. To minimise inconvenience, we have activated our Fog Care programme, whereby passengers booked on affected or likely-to-be-affected flights are being notified in advance and automatically offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund without penalty. Impacted guests will also be contacted directly on their registered mobile numbers and email addresses,” it added.

 

Akasa Air also said on X that certain flights across its network had been impacted due to severe weather conditions in northern India.

 

The ministry of civil aviation said on X that adverse weather conditions, including dense fog, were impacting aviation operations in parts of northern India on Tuesday.

 

It advised travellers to check their flight schedules before heading to the airport and follow airline advisories, adding that the ministry was actively monitoring the situation and working with all stakeholders to minimise inconvenience.

 

On Monday, at least 300 flights were cancelled across northern India after dense fog engulfed the National Capital Region (NCR) in the morning, aviation industry executives said, with hundreds more flights delayed.

 

At Delhi airport alone, at least 228 flights -- 131 departures and 97 arrivals -- were cancelled due to low visibility, while at least five flights were diverted to nearby airports on Monday, the sources said.

 

Currently, about 3,320 domestic flights operate daily within India, while around 1,315 international flights operate to and from the country, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.