Dense fog hits flights across North and East India; over 27 cancellations reported at Delhi airport

Dense fog and sharply reduced visibility disrupted flight operations across large parts of North and East India on Thursday morning, prompting airlines to issue fresh advisories for passengers. In the national capital, the conditions forced Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to activate Low Visibility Procedures (LVP).

Airlines including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet warned that fog-related disruptions could continue over the next few days, particularly during early morning hours, with knock-on effects across their networks amid the peak holiday travel season.

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Airport authorities said that as of now, more than 27 flight cancellations have been reported at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport due to dense fog and low visibility.

Dense fog disrupts flights across North and East India

Air India said dense fog was affecting operations at its primary hub in Delhi and several other airports, cautioning that delays and cancellations could have cascading effects across its schedule.

“To help plan your travel better, especially during the holiday season, may we request you to check your flight status before heading to the airport. For your convenience, Air India has taken several proactive measures to mitigate fog-related disruptions. However, if dense fog leads to sudden cancellations or prolonged delays, our ground colleagues will be available round-the-clock to assist you and make alternative arrangements,” the airline said, as per news agency UNI.

In accordance with its ‘FogCare’ initiative, Air India said passengers on affected flights would receive prior notifications and could change flights without additional charges or opt for a full refund without penalty.

Airlines issue advisories, ask passengers to plan ahead

IndiGo said low visibility over Chandigarh and other parts of North India had slowed flight movements, particularly in the early hours.

“As the morning approaches under misty winter skies, fog is predicted across parts of North and East India, which may lead to reduced visibility and a slower pace of flight movements during the early hours,” the airline said, noting that some flights could face delays or schedule adjustments.

The carrier also flagged possible disruptions to road traffic due to fog and urged passengers to keep additional buffer time for airport transfers and check flight status before leaving home.

SpiceJet, too, issued an advisory warning that dense fog in Patna and Delhi could affect arrivals, departures and consequential flights, advising passengers to verify their flight status prior to travel.

Air quality worsens, visibility drops across Delhi-NCR

The fog episode coincided with a deterioration in air quality across the national capital. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped further into the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday morning.

According to the Sameer app, Delhi’s AQI stood at 358 at 7:05 am, worsening from 329 recorded at 6:05 am on Wednesday. Several pollution hotspots entered the ‘severe’ zone.

Anand Vihar was the most affected area. It recorded an AQI of 416, with PM10 identified as the dominant pollutant. PM10 levels there spiked to 965 micrograms per cubic metre at 5 pm on Wednesday. Other areas with ‘severe’ air quality included Vivek Vihar (411), Wazirpur (404) and Jahangirpuri (404).

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorises AQI levels between 301 and 400 as ‘very poor’ and readings above 400 as ‘severe’, which can affect healthy individuals and seriously impact those with pre-existing conditions.

IMD reports dense fog, visibility dips to 100 metres

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported dense fog over Delhi on Thursday morning, with visibility dropping to just 100 metres at both Palam and Safdarjung airports.

Visibility had declined sharply over a three-hour window, with Safdarjung earlier reporting moderate fog at 300 metres and Palam recording shallow fog at 500 metres. The IMD said conditions were likely to improve marginally to around 150 metres by 7:45 am.

With fog and pollution combining to reduce visibility across the National Capital Region, airlines advised passengers to stay alert to updates and plan travel cautiously over the coming days.