Fog woes continue

NEW DELHI: Domestic airlines are likely to notch up losses to the tune of Rs 18-20 crore over seven days on account of fog-related delays and cancellations. The figure is likely to get higher if one incorporates the international flights that take off and land in the capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airports.

Not that this is likely to evoke much sympathy among stranded passengers. Apart from fog disrupting travel plans of passengers, what has peeved most air travellers is the airlines’ dismal state of passenger information system and mis-management of the fog impact on harrowed travellers.

Travails of air travellers to and from Delhi continued for second consecutive day of the new year with a thick blanket of fog disrupting flights, rail traffic and leading to congestion on the road. As many as 37 incoming flights and 50 departures were cancelled from Delhi’s IGI airport since Monday midnight, with the runway visibility dipping to around 100 metres at times. A total of 19 domestic and international flights were rescheduled while 61 flights were diverted on Tuesday. Over the last three days, over 300 domestic and international flights have been cancelled or diverted.

“Over the last 10 days we have given refund to passengers to the tune of over Rs 10 crore,” said Air Deccan MD GR Gopinath. Air Deccan has cancelled on an average 15-20 flights over the last three days. Airline executives point out that each cancelled flight in a major trunk route leads to a loss of around Rs 7 lakh.

For the last 44 hours, air traffic at Delhi’s domestic and international airports had been disrupted, leading to a cascading effect on air traffic network across the country. Airport sources said with runway visibility fluctuating between 50 metres and 150 metres, only CAT III A or CAT III B enabled flights were operational.