“Currently, 27 flights have been canceled, comprising 16 departures and 11 arrivals, at Delhi Airport due to thick fog and low visibility,” the official from Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) stated.
In a passenger advisory issued Thursday morning, DIAL mentioned that due to the dense fog, “flight operations are presently under CAT-III conditions, which may result in delays or disruptions.” This type of operation requires not only trained pilots but also aircraft that comply with specific regulations.
CAT-III refers to a type of instrument landing system (ILS) approach that enables aircraft to land in very low visibility conditions, such as fog, rain, or snow, with a runway visual range (RVR) of 50-200 meters.
On December 26, low visibility conditions affected flight operations at Delhi Airport, causing airlines to cancel 131 flights, according to a Delhi International Airport Ltd official.
“Due to low visibility, 52 departures and 79 arrivals were canceled…” the official noted.
The northern regions of India, including Air India’s primary hub in Delhi, are facing low visibility due to dense fog, which could have a cascading effect on flight schedules across the network.
The aviation regulator DGCA has designated December 10 to February 10 of the following year as the official fog window for this winter season. In a related incident, the crisis-hit IndiGo canceled 113 flights across its network due to weather-related disruptions at Delhi Airport on Tuesday.
Additionally, the airline announced that it would not operate 42 flights on Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions at Delhi Airport. As winter sets in, the early mornings in northern India can bring fog that may occasionally slow down flight operations, according to IndiGo in a post on X.
“Our teams are well-prepared and are closely monitoring weather conditions,” IndiGo stated, adding that wherever feasible, “we are making strategic adjustments on the ground to minimize inconvenience and ensure that any waiting time is as comfortable as possible.
