A prolonged spell of dense fog lasting nearly 11 hours wreaked havoc on flight and rail operations in the Indian capital Delhi on Sunday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The dense fog, which reduced visibility to zero for about seven-and-a-half hours between 3 am and 10:30 am, led to widespread disruptions at the airport and delays in train services.
Airport officials reported that around 400 flights were delayed, 10 were diverted, and at least 20 were canceled due to the adverse weather conditions. The impact of the delays persisted throughout the day, even as sunlight improved visibility for five hours from 12 pm to 5 pm. The cascading effect of the delays and diversions continued into the evening.
This marked the worst fog spell of the year, significantly affecting transit operations. Ten flights were diverted to Jaipur due to poor visibility, occurring at different times between 4:30 am and noon, according to an airport official. The exact number of delayed flights was not officially confirmed, but the Delhi airport’s website indicated approximately 200 flights experienced delays, with at least 10 cancellations.
The airport implemented low visibility procedures (LVP) when visibility dropped below 800 meters. These procedures include different categories (CAT-I, CAT-II, CAT-III) based on the severity of fog. Flight operations, especially departures, were hampered, leading to delays and subsequent disruptions in parking bay availability. The ongoing work on one of the runways further compounded the challenges, as three out of four runways have been operational since August 2023, with repairs ongoing at runway 28/10 for the last four months.
Pilots shared their experiences on social media, with one mentioning a wait of over two hours and 24 minutes for a parking bay after landing. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were also affected as a special IndiGo flight, on which they were scheduled to travel to Imphal, faced delays.
The Northern Railway reported delays of at least one hour for 22 trains originating from or heading to Delhi, including prominent services like the Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express and the Kanpur-New Delhi Shramshakti Express.
Passengers expressed their frustration on social media, highlighting the challenges faced during the extended period of dense fog. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the persistence of dense to very dense fog on Monday, with an orange alert issued.
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