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A total of 14 flights were diverted and many others were delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday due to poor visibility caused by dense fog and bad weather conditions in the national capital. The diversions, which occurred between 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM, disrupted several airlines’ operations, including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo.
Out of the 14 flights, 13 were redirected to Jaipur, while one flight was diverted to Dehradun. According to an official, one of the reasons behind the diversions was that some pilots were not trained for CAT III operations. These operations are designed for landings in extremely low visibility conditions, such as those caused by dense fog. Only pilots trained in these operations can safely take off and land under such conditions.
The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a statement on Monday, indicating that low visibility procedures were in progress. It assured that all flight operations were normal at that point, but passengers were still advised to check with their airlines for updates.
The poor visibility in Delhi, coupled with high pollution levels, prompted airline operators to issue advisories to their passengers. Air India informed travelers through social media that flights could be affected due to the visibility issues and urged passengers to arrive early at the airport as traffic was expected to move slowly. Similarly, SpiceJet and IndiGo also notified passengers about potential delays and diversions due to the fog.
Meanwhile, the city’s air quality hit a severe level on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) soaring to a staggering 484. This marked the worst air quality reading of the season, as Delhi grapples with a combination of pollution and foggy conditions that are severely impacting both flight operations and daily life.