On Friday morning, over 100 flights were delayed at Delhi airport as dense fog led to poor visibility, disrupting operations.
At 5:04 am, IndiGo posted on X advising passengers to check the flight status before heading to the airport due to the ongoing delays.
In a post on X at 5:52 am, airport operator DIAL stated, “Due to dense fog, flight departures have been impacted. However, flights that are CAT III compliant are still able to land and depart from Delhi airport.”
CAT III compliance enables flight operations to continue even under low visibility conditions, ensuring safe landings and departures in such weather.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar.com, more than 100 flights were delayed at the airport due to the low visibility conditions.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) urged passengers to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused.
“We strongly recommend planning extra time for your journey to the airport as foggy conditions in Delhi are reducing visibility and slowing down traffic,” IndiGo said.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital manages approximately 1,300 flight movements daily. According to the India Meteorological Department, “Zero visibility has been recorded over Palam since 4:30 IST, with southeasterly winds blowing at 6-8 km/h.” At Safdarjung, visibility remained limited to just 50 meters due to dense fog since 5:30 IST, with calm winds, the IMD reported.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s minimum temperature dropped to 6 degrees Celsius, which is 0.9 degrees below normal. Additionally, the air quality was reported in the severe category.
According to the CPCB air quality bulletin, the AQI at 9 am was recorded at 408, falling within the “severe” category. The weatherman has predicted very dense fog throughout the day, with the maximum temperature expected to reach around 16 degrees Celsius.
The AQI scale is as follows: 0-50 is “good,” 51-100 is “satisfactory,” 101-200 is “moderate,” 201-300 is “poor,” 301-400 is “very poor,” and 401-500 is “severe.”
