Over 100 flights disrupted as dense fog blankets Delhi; aviation ministry issues advisory

Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were severely affected on Tuesday as dense fog and low visibility disrupted air traffic across north India. According to official data, 118 flights were cancelled, 16 diverted and over 130 delayed, prompting the Ministry of Civil Aviation to issue an advisory directing airlines to strictly follow passenger facilitation norms.

As per a report by Times of India, the ministry said in a statement that airlines must ensure timely flight information, meals for delayed passengers, rebooking or refunds in case of cancellations, baggage assistance, and prompt grievance redressal. It also instructed carriers not to deny boarding to passengers who had checked in on time.

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“Amid prevailing fog and low-visibility conditions impacting flights in parts of northern India, passengers are advised to proactively check flight status, remain in contact with their airlines and allow extra travel time,” the ministry said.

118 flights cancelled, several diverted

An airport official said 60 arriving and 58 departing flights were cancelled, while 16 flights were diverted due to low visibility at Delhi airport. Flights not equipped for CAT III operations, which allow aircraft to land in extremely poor visibility, were particularly affected.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X that flight operations were continuing, but warned that non-CAT III compliant flights could face delays or cancellations.

On Monday, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced that assistance teams had been deployed at affected airports to help stranded passengers. AAI said passenger facilitation measures had been activated to ensure safety and smoother operations during adverse weather.

Airlines roll out fog advisories

Airlines issued advisories to passengers as fog conditions persisted. Air India said it was monitoring the situation closely and had deployed ground staff at key airport touchpoints to assist passengers in case of delays, diversions or cancellations.

In a post on X, Air India said its “FogCare” initiative allows passengers booked on select flights during the fog window to receive advance alerts, reschedule without additional charges, or seek a full refund without penalty.

Other airlines also shared customer support numbers and urged passengers to stay updated on flight status before heading to the airport.

Fog, cold and air quality concerns persist

Dense fog enveloped Delhi early Tuesday, sharply reducing visibility across several areas. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which issued an orange alert and forecast very dense fog conditions through the day.

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While visibility remained poor, air quality showed marginal improvement. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 388, slightly lower than Monday’s reading of 401, which fell in the ‘severe’ category. Sixteen monitoring stations continued to record ‘severe’ air quality, while 21 stations were in the ‘very poor’ range.

The air quality outlook for the next six days suggests conditions are likely to remain ‘very poor’.