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 north India this month, with around 200 flights cancelled across the region and hundreds more delayed on Monday, industry sources said.

 

At Delhi airport alone, about 128 flights were cancelled by 11 am on Monday, while at least eight flights were diverted away from the national capital due to poor weather.

 

“Due to low visibility, 64 departures and 64 arrivals were cancelled at Delhi airport between 12 midnight and 11 am on Monday,” a source said. The airport handles around 1,360 flights a day.

 

IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, said on its website that 104 flights were cancelled on Monday due to adverse weather conditions across northern India.

   

“Foggy conditions remain in place across Delhi and several airports in northern India, with visibility yet to improve fully. As a result, the earlier impact on flight movements is likely to extend into the noon hours, and some delays may continue,” the airline posted on X.

 

“We assure you that flight departures and arrivals are being sequenced to ensure steady and orderly movement, while keeping your journey and comfort in mind,” IndiGo added.

 

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

 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has designated December 10 to February 10 as the winter fog season for aviation operations this financial year. During the period, airlines are required to follow low-visibility (CAT-IIIB) operating procedures, including deploying suitably equipped aircraft and rostering only pilots certified for low-visibility landings.

 

Category III systems allow aircraft to operate during dense fog using advanced landing guidance technology. Under this framework, Category III-A operations permit landings when runway visual range drops to 200 metres, while the more advanced Category III-B capability allows landings even when visibility falls below 50 metres.