North India is engulfed in a thick blanket of fog on Saturday, leading to widespread disruptions in flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and causing significant delays in road traffic across the region. The dense fog reduced visibility to zero in several areas, creating challenging conditions for travelers.
It created significant disruptions in the functionality of IGIA, which witnesses 1,300 flight movements daily. Delhi International Airport Ltd has issued an advisory over X (formerly Twitter) at 12:05 a.m., saying that flight schedules have been affected. “Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for updated flight information. Deep regrets for any inconvenience caused,” DIAL said.
The strong winds and bad weather caused one of India’s major airlines, IndiGo, to suspend both departure and arrival. The tweet posted by the airline on X at 1:05 a.m. states, “#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are presently on hold owing to reduced visibility.” It added that the possibility of delay prevails after normal operations resume considering airside congestion.
Similarly, Air India admitted the problems caused by dense fog through a social media post, where poor visibility was seen as a primary reason for delaying flights in Delhi and northern India.
According to an airport official, more than 400 flights were delayed because of adverse weather, causing discomfort to passengers who were traveling to and from the national capital.
We’ll keep you posted with further updates. Thank you for your understanding and patience. (2/2)
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 3, 2025
Road Traffic At Standstill
The dense fog didn’t just impact air travel. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana saw their road traffic slow down to a crawl as commuters found it challenging to navigate through the near-zero visibility conditions. Authorities asked motorists to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel during the foggy hours.
Weather In Delhi
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said zero visibility was reported in multiple parts of Delhi last night, marking one of the worst episodes of fog this season. The maximum temperature was 21.2°C – above the seasonal average – and the minimum was 7°C.
Air quality in Delhi was also an issue, with the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 371, which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies as “very poor.”
Travelers are advised to monitor their flight schedules by contacting their airlines. The weather is expected to improve gradually, but delays and disruptions are likely to continue since the region is still trying to cope with the effects of thick fog.
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