Low visibility leads to 300 flight cancellations across northern India

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

 

At Delhi airport alone, at least 228 flights — 131 departures and 97 arrivals — were cancelled due to low visibility, they added. The airport handles around 1,360 flights a day.

 

At least five flights were diverted from Delhi airport to nearby airports on Monday, the sources said. 

 

IndiGo said on X that dense fog continued to affect visibility at Delhi and other airports in northern India, leading to delays and changes to flight schedules. “Prolonged low visibility during the morning hours has impacted air traffic movement, and as a result, some flights have been cancelled to ensure safe and compliant operations through the rest of the day,” the airline said. It added that affected customers were being informed in advance via WhatsApp and email. IndiGo’s website showed at least 170 flights cancelled on Monday due to fog.

   

Air India, in a post on X, said poor visibility caused by dense fog in Delhi had disrupted flight operations for all airlines. The carrier said 37 of its flights were cancelled on Monday due to weather conditions. “In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for our guests, some flights have been cancelled,” it said, adding that ground teams were working round the clock to assist passengers. Air India advised passengers to check the latest status of their flights before heading to the airport.

 

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.