Delhi Weather: Dense Fog Disrupts Flight Operations at IGI Airport; IMD Issues Yellow Alert

Delhi Weather: Dense Fog Disrupts Flight Operations at IGI Airport; IMD Issues Yellow Alert

Flights at Delhi's IGI airport are facing issues because of low visibility caused by heavy fog. This is affecting both incoming and outgoing flights.

18 trains from different parts of the country are running late to reach the main city.

According to the information displayed on the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Flight Information System, 10 flights were redirected, 53 were called off, and more than 120 were running late today. Unfortunately, the situation is not expected to get better soon, as the weather agency forecasts improvement only after a week.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is working to make air travel better. They plan to check a special runway at Delhi Airport that can handle flights in dense fog (CAT-III B). If everything goes as planned, the runway should be ready for flights by next week.

A group of DGCA officials will visit for an inspection. They will look at technical things like lights and the structure, and all the preparations are finished. The last adjustments are being made. We expect quick approval from the regulator, and after that, we can start using the runway within two to three days of the inspection, said a senior official from the airport authority.

If the approval goes through, the IGIA will have three operational CAT-III runways. These runways are set up to handle take-offs and landings even in extremely foggy conditions.

The runway, labeled as 10/28, is scheduled for inspection by the aviation regulator. It has been closed for re-carpeting since mid-September. The closure left the airport with only one operational CAT-III compliant runway, causing confusion and disruptions in flight operations on days with low visibility, worsened by dense fog. Officials mention that once reopened, this runway will significantly ease the uncertainty faced by passengers dealing with flight cancellations, delays, and diversions.

Wednesday morning had warm winds blowing from the east at a speed of around 10-12 kmph. This made the weather better.

Kuldeep Srivastava, a scientist at the Indian Meteorological Department, said that now the wind is again blowing from the north-west direction. However, he mentioned that the minimum temperature will be around 5 degrees Celsius for the next few days.

The air wasn't great on Wednesday; it fell into the "very poor" category with an index of 368, just a bit better than the 371 from the day before.