Airlines warn of flight delays as dense fog shrouds north India; ops stable

Airlines issued advisories as dense fog reduced visibility across north India, causing flight delays, though operations at Delhi airport remained largely stable

Airlines issued travel advisories on Wednesday as dense fog covered large parts of northern India, including Delhi-NCR, leading to delays and disruptions in flight operations.

 

In a travel advisory issued early on Wednesday morning, IndiGo warned passengers about sudden drops in visibility across multiple cities.

 

“Early-morning fog is expected to affect visibility across #Amritsar, #Chandigarh, #Jammu and #Udaipur. During these hours, visibility can reduce suddenly, impacting flight operations,” the airline said.

Flights impacted in Chennai, Agartala and Hindon

IndiGo also said that low visibility impacted flights in some parts of the country, including Chennai, Hindon and Agartala. “Low visibility over #Chennai and #Agartala has impacted flight schedules. Departures and arrivals to and from these cities may experience delays as we work through the weather conditions,” the airline said, adding that it was monitoring the situation closely.

 

Operations from Uttar Pradesh’s Hindon airport were also affected. “Fluctuating visibility at #Hindon (Airport) has led to changes in flight schedules, and operations may be slower than usual as conditions evolve,” IndiGo said.

 

The airline said operations would gradually stabilise once weather conditions improve.

Operations largely stable

Meanwhile, the Delhi airport has also been tracking the fog situation closely and issuing hourly updates. At 8 am, the airport said all flight operations were "normal".

 

Several airlines, including Akasa Air, rescheduled several flights on Tuesday due to low visibility conditions in northern India.

 

According to flight tracking platform FlightRadar24, the departure delay index, which forecasts disruption in departures, stood at 1 for Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as of 8:40 am, indicating minimal disruption. Meanwhile, the arrival delay index was at 0.7, suggesting even fewer disruptions to landing operations.

Fog situation and winter disruptions

Fog frequently leads to flight disruptions in northern India during winters. Air India recently introduced steps to manage fog-related delays.

 

In a post on Monday, the airline said, “Poor visibility due to fog is predicted in parts of Northern India, including Delhi, which may have a cascading impact on our flight operations across the network.” The airline added that its 'FogCare' initiative allows affected passengers to change flights without extra payment or opt for a full refund without penalty.

Which airlines face more difficulty?

Airlines operating aircraft that are not CAT-III compliant are likely to face greater difficulty in near-zero visibility conditions. CAT-II and CAT-III compliant aircraft are equipped with advanced landing and navigation systems that allow operations in low-visibility conditions. CAT-II aircraft can land with limited visibility, while CAT-III aircraft can operate even when visibility is extremely poor due to advanced autoland systems.