Over 300 flights delayed at Delhi airport: Report
Flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were severely affected on Thursday as a thick layer of smog reduced visibility. According to Flightradar24, more than 300 flights were delayed; 115 incoming and 226 outgoing flights were delayed with an average delay of 17 minutes for arrivals and 54 minutes for departures. The exact reason behind all these delays is still unclear.
Delhi airport and IndiGo Airlines issue advisories
Reacting to the situation, the Delhi airport earlier issued an advisory on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Low visibility procedures in progress at Delhi Airport. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information." IndiGo Airlines also advised passengers to check their flight status as flights could be delayed due to "winter fog."
Delhi's air quality deteriorates, reaching 'severe' level
Delhi's air quality has worsened drastically, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a 'severe' 459 at noon on Thursday. Of Delhi's 39 monitoring stations, 32 recorded AQI levels above 400. On Wednesday, visibility at the airport fell to zero, resulting in some flight diversions. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), "At 8:30am zero-metre visibility was recorded at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, with the Runway Visual Range varying between 125 meters and 500 meters across different locations."
