New Year travel plans were severely disrupted in the national capital on Wednesday as dense fog engulfed Delhi, leading to the cancellation of 148 flights and delays to more than 150 others at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
Several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet, issued travel advisories, urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Flight Operations Hit by Low Visibility
According to airport officials, the cancellations include:
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78 arriving flights
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70 departing flights
Poor visibility due to fog forced flight operations to be conducted under CAT III instrument landing system protocols, which allow aircraft to land in extremely low visibility but often result in delays and schedule changes.
Visuals shared by news agency ANI showed visibility dropping to just a few metres in parts of the city early Wednesday morning.
IMD Issues Fog Alert
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog on New Year’s Eve. Weather conditions are expected to remain challenging during early morning hours, especially across north India.
Rail Services Also Affected
Foggy conditions also disrupted rail services, with several trains running behind schedule. Passengers were seen waiting at major railway stations in Delhi as train movement slowed due to reduced visibility.
Delhi’s Air Quality Remains Very Poor
Alongside weather disruptions, air quality in Delhi continued to deteriorate. The city recorded an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 383 at 6:05 am on Wednesday, placing it in the “very poor” category and close to turning “severe”, according to data from the CPCB’s Sameer app.
Delhi Airport Issues Passenger Advisory
In a passenger advisory, Delhi’s IGI Airport said delays and cancellations were expected due to prevailing fog conditions.
“Flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III protocols, which may result in delays or cancellations. Ground teams are actively assisting passengers,” the airport said, while advising travellers to contact airlines for real-time updates.
Airlines Issue Travel Advisories
Air India said fog could cause cascading delays across its network and confirmed that some morning flights were pre-emptively cancelled to reduce passenger inconvenience. The airline also highlighted its FogCare initiative, allowing eligible passengers to reschedule flights or seek full refunds without penalties.
IndiGo stated that departures and arrivals may be affected throughout the day due to reduced visibility in Delhi and other northern airports, assuring passengers of timely updates through digital channels.
SpiceJet also warned that fog may impact all arrivals and departures and requested passengers to regularly monitor their flight status.
