Dense fog conditions continued to prevail in the national capital on Wednesday, 31 December, with the Delhi airport announcing potential flight delays and cancellations.
Visuals from Delhi showed that visibility had dropped to a few metres, with barely anything visible on Wednesday morning.
In an update on 6 am, Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) authorities said that under present conditions, flight operations were being conducted under CAT III protocols, and disruptions could be expected.
“Our ground teams are on-site and actively assisting passengers to ensure a smooth travel experience,” the Delhi airport said in a post on X.
Airport authorities also urged passengers to check for the latest updates with regard to their flights and contact respective airlines if necessary.
Latest updates from IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet
Several airlines, too, issued advisories for Wednesday given the weather conditions, warning that schedules could be subject to change due to low visibility.
IndiGo, which had seen mass flight disruptions in early December, announced that operations in Delhi, Hindon and several other airports were expected to be slower than usual, adding that its teams were “prioritizing safety and compliance with visibility requirements”.
The airline also urged passengers to check their flight status.
“If your flight is impacted, you can conveniently rebook your journey or claim a refund,” the IndiGo said.
“Once the weather settles, operations will gradually stabilize, and flights will depart as planned. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon,” the airline added.
Air India, too, issued a lengthy advisory for Wednesday, warning of “potential cascading delays” across its network.
“This includes planned cancellation of some morning flights most likely to be affected by fog with advance information to passengers to avoid prolonged and uncertain wait at the airports. In the event of any unexpected delay, diversion or cancellation of flights, our airport teams will remain at your service to extend necessary assistance and support,” Air India said.
It also asked passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
Budget carrier SpiceJet also announced disruptions to its flights from the national capital, and urged flyers to check their flight status.
SpiceJet also warned of delays in operations at the Ayodhya airport due to weather conditions.
Continued disruptions to flight schedules
The expected delays and cancellations of flights over north India on Wednesday comes after at least 118 cancellations on Tuesday due to dense fog.
Beyond the cancellations, Tuesday also saw over 200 flights delayed and at least 18 diverted, just from the Delhi airport, as per a report by Hindustan Times,
There’s no respite in sight for flyers either: earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had announced that fog season would continue from 10 December to 10 February, and regular flight disruptions can be expected till then.
