Chaos unfolds at Delhi Airport as dense fog grounds flights, leaving passengers stranded

In an unforeseen turn of events at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, passengers found themselves in a state of disarray as a dense fog blanket wreaked havoc on flight operations. The runway congestion, exacerbated by limited visibility, led to a gridlock where incoming flights had no available parking slots, stranding travelers inside their planes post-landing.

Addressing the disruptions, Akasa Air took to microblogging platform X, alerting passengers to the impact on flight schedules across Delhi, Chennai, Varanasi, Bagdogra, and Lucknow. The airline urged travelers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport and assured continuous efforts to assist those affected.



Sunday marked a historic low for Delhi's temperature this season, plummeting to 3.5 degrees Celsius. The city was shrouded in dense fog, causing zero visibility in select areas of Delhi and northern India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported persistent zero visibility at IGIA – Delhi’s Palam since 5:00 am due to relentless dense fog conditions.

In response to the adverse weather conditions, at least ten flights destined for Delhi were rerouted to Jaipur and Mumbai in the early hours. Simultaneously, the operations of 22 Delhi-bound trains experienced delays. The fog on Sunday stands out as the most severe this season, with reports of zero visibility from Amritsar to Dibrugarh, spanning regions like Ganganagar, Patiala, Ambala, Chandigarh, Palam, Safdarjung, Bareilly, Lucknow, Barhraich, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Assam’s Tejpur.

The expansive reach of dense fog extended across Punjab, Haryana, North Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, causing significant disruptions in both air and rail travel. As passengers navigate through the unexpected delays brought about by weather conditions, authorities are actively managing the situation, prioritizing safety, and ensuring that travelers receive comprehensive assistance during this challenging period.