Fog chaos: Hundreds of flights cancelled

As hundreds of flights are being cancelled or delayed due to fog across airports, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) issued an advisory, directing that airlines should mandatorily provide refreshments/meals proportionate to waiting time for delays of two hours or more for domestic flights and to explore alternate travel options, including re-routing or rescheduling without additional charges, wherever applicable.Dense fog returned to the national Capital on Saturday morning,

disrupting hundreds of flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and forcing the cancellation of flights.

Delhi’s IGIA issued a fresh advisory on Saturday afternoon as it saw over 129 flight cancellations after the national Capital woke up to a thick blanket of fog that shrouded the city.

“Palam reported the lowest visibility 350 metres from 4.00 IST onwards; Safdarjung reported the lowest visibility 200 metres from 3.00 IST onwards. Moderate to dense fog reported at Palam and Safdarjung during the past 24 hours,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Delhi airport operator DIAL, on its official X handle, announced that low

visibility procedures are currently in progress at the airport. “Low Visibility Procedures are currently in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are functioning normally.  

Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates,” the airport wrote on X. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) operates the IGIA, the country’s largest airport, which generally handles around 1,300 flights daily.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) recently issued a weather advisory where it cautioned over the reduced visibility across parts of northern India and said that it could affect flight operations.

“Reduced visibility due to fog across parts of Northern India may impact flight operations at select airports, leading to possible delays or disruptions. Passengers are encouraged to stay in regular contact with their respective airlines for real-time flight updates, rely exclusively on official communication channels for accurate information, and allow extra time for travel and airport formalities. To ensure passenger convenience, AAI has deployed dedicated passenger facilitation teams at airports to provide assistance and support. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure safe and efficient operations,” the AAI said.

In a post on X, the ministry said, “For delays beyond prescribed limits, airlines must offer meals, re-routing or rescheduling without extra charges, and hotel accommodation for overnight disruptions. In case of short-notice cancellations, passengers must be given a full refund or alternate travel at no additional cost”.

“Airlines have been directed to strictly comply with passenger facilitation norms in the interest of safety and convenience. These include providing timely and accurate flight information, meals and refreshments during extended delays, rebooking or refunds in case of cancellations, and ensuring that passengers are not denied boarding after timely check-in. The advisory also mandates assistance during diversions, special support for persons with disabilities, timely refunds, baggage facilitation and effective grievance redressal,” it said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been asked to ensure compliance, with airlines mandated to provide timely updates on delays, rescheduling, cancellations and diversions across all communication channels.

Delhi experiences first cold wave on Saturday

Delhi experienced its first cold wave of the season on Saturday, recording its coldest December day this year as the maximum temperature plunged to 16.9 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees below normal. IMD said, for the first time this winter, Delhi met the ‘cold wave day’ criteria, with two of its five monitoring stations — “Safdarjung and Palam” recording cold wave conditions. While the Safdarjung station recorded 16.9 degrees Celsius and Palam, recorded a high of 16.3 degrees Celsius. IMD has warned that the inclement weather conditions will remain till December 22.