Delhi's AQI stays 'severe' as nearly 100 flights cancelled due to dense fog

Delhi's air quality remains severe as dense fog disrupts flight and train services on New Year's eve, causing delays, cancellations and poor visibility across the capital

Dense fog blanketed large parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday morning, drastically reducing visibility and disrupting daily life as the city prepares for New Year celebrations. The poor weather also led to the cancellation of nearly 100 flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

 

AQI readings across Delhi

 

Anand Vihar: 452

Ashok Vihar: 411

Bawana: 307

Chandni Chowk: 420

RK Puram: 412

Rohini: 426

Vivek Vihar: 441

ITO: 426

 

Nearby cities also affected

 

Gurugram: 348

Noida: 391

Ghaziabad: 276

Faridabad: 288

 

By 4 pm on Tuesday, Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI stood at 388. According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, the AQI is likely to remain in the 'severe' category on December 31 and January 1 before easing to the 'very poor' category on January 2. For the following six days, air quality is expected to stay in the 'very poor' range.

 

 

CPCB AQI categories:

 

0–50: Good

51–100: Satisfactory

101–200: Moderate

201–300: Poor

301–400: Very poor

401–500: Severe

 

Visibility plunges due to dense fog

 

The dense fog has caused a significant drop in visibility across Delhi and the NCR, severely impacting transport services and daily movement. Visuals from Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram, Noida’s Botanical Garden Metro Station, and Delhi’s Akshardham area showed thick fog blanketing roads and residential areas, forcing vehicles to move at a snail’s pace. Similar foggy conditions affected early-morning commuters across Noida.

 

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that dense fog is expected to persist in the coming days, adding to the region’s winter woes.

 

Flight and train services affected

 

Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) are currently being conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog, resulting in delays and cancellations, airport authorities said. In an advisory, the airport stated: “Due to prevailing dense fog, flight operations are being conducted under CAT III protocols, which may lead to delays or cancellations. Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience. We regret the inconvenience caused.”

 

Several airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo, have issued advisories alerting passengers to possible disruptions. IndiGo noted: “Fog continues to persist across Delhi and several northern airports. Reduced visibility has slowed flight movements, causing some delays. We will continue to manage operations under the prevailing conditions, sequencing departures and arrivals to maintain orderly operations.

 

Passengers are advised to check their flight status via http://bit.ly/3ZWAQXd. As fog is also affecting road visibility and traffic, we recommend allowing extra travel time to the airport. Our teams are present to support passengers and assist throughout their journey today.”

 

Rail services were also affected, with multiple trains delayed due to poor visibility. Passengers waited at stations in Delhi as train movement remained slow amid the dense fog.

 

Delhi weather forecast

 

For Wednesday, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for the national capital, forecasting partly cloudy skies with moderate fog at many places and dense fog at a few locations during morning hours. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21–23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum will stay near 7–9 degrees Celsius.