110 flights cancelled due to low visibility

A total of 110 flights were cancelled and over 370 services delayed due to low-visibility conditions amid fog at the Delhi airport on Sunday.

An official said 59 arrivals and 51 departures were cancelled at the airport. On the railway front, over 50 trains operated by Northern Railways have been delayed due to adverse weather conditions and fog.

According to the latest information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, more than 370 flights were delayed and the average delay time was around 26 minutes for departures at the airport.

Palam recorded its lowest visibility at 300 metres due to moderate fog between 10 pm and 12.30 am IST, which later improved to 600 metres in shallow fog. East-southeasterly winds were blowing at around 7 kmph, the IMD said.

At Safdarjung, visibility dropped to its lowest at 200 metres in moderate fog between 1.30 am and 2.30 am IST. It gradually improved to 500 metres in shallow fog by 5.30 am IST, according to the IMD. The IMD further said that visibility at Palam again fell to 350 metres, with east-southeasterly winds at 7 kmph, while shallow fog continued at Safdarjung with visibility around 500 metres and variable winds till 9 am IST. The weather department has forecast moderate fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius.

In a post on X in the evening, Delhi airport operator DIAL said operations are running smoothly.  DIAL operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s largest airport that generally handles around 1,300 flights daily.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an advisory on Sunday, warning that fog conditions in parts of northern India are affecting visibility and may lead to delays or changes in flight operations at select airports.

“Fog conditions in parts of Northern India are affecting visibility and may lead to delays or changes in flight operations at select airports. Passengers are advised to check flight updates with their airlines through official channels and allow extra time for airport travel and formalities,” AAI’s advisory read.

Delhi airport’s passenger advisory at 10 am on Sunday said that flight operations at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport “continue to be normal”, but advised passengers to “consult” with their respective airlines for updated flight schedules. “Operations at Delhi airport continue to be normal. For updated flight schedules, please consult your airline or visit the official airport website. We wish all passengers a safe and pleasant journey,” the advisory on X read.

Flight operations have been disrupted for the past many days in Delhi and other airports due to dense fog.

The air quality in the national Capital was recorded in the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday morning with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 377, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the CPCB’s Sameer app, 16 out of the 40 monitoring stations in the city reported air quality in the ‘severe’ category, while the remaining recorded ‘very poor’ levels. The minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees above the season’s average, whereas the maximum temperature settled at 18.1 degrees Celsius.

The humidity was recorded at 100 per cent at 5.30 pm, as per IMD. The weather department has forecast moderate fog on Monday with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius, respectively.