Air travel across several parts of India faced major disruption on Monday as dense fog sharply reduced visibility, leading to widespread flight delays, cancellations and diversions, particularly at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Visibility at the national capital’s airport dropped to nearly 125 metres during the early hours, forcing authorities to operate flights under CAT III conditions.
Airport officials warned that the situation could result in delays or cancellations and urged passengers to check flight statuses before leaving for the airport.
Delhi Airport witnessed extensive disruption, with 128 flights cancelled, including 64 arrivals and 64 departures.
Poor visibility and air traffic congestion forced authorities to divert at least eight flights and delay over 30 services, compounding operational challenges.
Airlines rerouted several inbound flights to alternate airports, causing passenger inconvenience and overcrowding at terminals.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has designated December 10 to February 10, 2026, as the official fog season window and expects frequent disruptions during this period.
Airlines Issue Travel Advisories
Major airlines issued alerts warning travellers of possible delays and cancellations.
IndiGo said dense fog in Jammu continued to disrupt flight operations and warned that it could delay or cancel services depending on clearance and operational feasibility.
SpiceJet flagged disruptions at Kolkata airport due to poor visibility, while Air India cautioned that fog across north India could have a cascading impact on its domestic network.
In one instance, dense fog prevented an Air India Express flight from Goa from landing in Delhi or Jaipur, forcing the airline to divert the aircraft to Ahmedabad. Passengers later expressed frustration over prolonged delays and limited information.
Rail services were not spared, with several long-distance trains running behind schedule due to foggy conditions across northern India.
Authorities advised passengers to remain alert for updates as weather-related disruptions continued.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for dense fog in Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
With a western disturbance expected to influence north India, light rain and continued fog are likely around the New Year, potentially prolonging travel disruptions.
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