Thousands of air travellers faced disruption on Thursday as dense fog and poor visibility forced IndiGo to cancel multiple flights across northern and eastern India. Winter weather conditions continued to challenge flight operations, especially at airports prone to heavy fog during December. Safety concerns remained the airline’s top priority as visibility dropped sharply at several locations.
IndiGo issued multiple travel advisories through its official X handle, warning passengers of delays and cancellations due to rapidly changing weather conditions. The airline urged flyers to stay updated and plan their journeys carefully.
Why Are IndiGo Flights Being Cancelled Today?
Thick fog and low visibility affected flight movements at several airports on December 18. Weather conditions worsened during early morning and late evening hours, disrupting take-offs and landings.
In a late-night advisory, IndiGo said, “Low visibility and fog over #Chandigarh has impacted flight schedules. We’re keeping a close watch on the weather and doing our best to get you where you need to be, safely and smoothly.”
The airline later added that similar conditions were affecting Ranchi, Patna, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur, slowing down operations across the region.
Airports Affected by Fog and Low Visibility
According to IndiGo’s latest updates, flight operations were impacted at the following airports:
- Chandigarh
- Ranchi
- Patna
- Varanasi
- Gorakhpur
Dense fog over eastern India further reduced visibility, forcing air traffic control and airline teams to operate cautiously in real time.
List of Confirmed IndiGo Flight Cancellations on December 18
As per IndiGo’s official flight cancellation page, the following flights were cancelled:
- 6E 7718 – Jaipur to Chandigarh
- 6E 7719 – Chandigarh to Jaipur
- 6E 201 – Kolkata to Amritsar
- 6E 6326 – Chennai to Kolkata
- 6E 6634 – Chandigarh to Bengaluru
- 6E 681 – Chandigarh to Pune
- 6E 2315 – Chandigarh to Delhi
- 6E 6041 – Chandigarh to Kolkata
- 6E 987 – Chennai to Kolkata
- 6E 242 – Pune to Chandigarh
- 6E 822 – Kolkata to Varanasi
Most cancellations involved flights departing from or arriving at Chandigarh, which remained one of the worst-hit airports.
IndiGo’s Travel Advisory for Passengers
In its latest advisory, the airline stated:
“Due to dense fog in #Chandigarh, visibility has reduced drastically, impacting flight operations. As a precaution, some flights have been cancelled throughout the day to prioritise safety and help minimise extended waiting at the airport.”
IndiGo also advised passengers to allow extra travel time due to slower road traffic and urged them to check flight status before leaving for the airport.
How to Check IndiGo Flight Status & Get Refunds?
Passengers can track real-time updates using IndiGo’s official platforms:
- Live Flight Status on the IndiGo website or mobile app
- PNR-based status checks for delays or cancellations
- In case of cancellations, travellers can rebook or claim refunds online through the airline’s dedicated disruption support page.
- Winter Travel Disruptions Continue for IndiGo
- IndiGo has already cancelled over 170 flights earlier this week, followed by nearly 60 cancellations the next day and more than 50 on Wednesday. Despite the disruptions, the airline continues to operate over 2,100 flights daily.
- December remains the busiest travel month due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. At the same time, fog and haze across northern India continue to pose challenges for airlines.
- IndiGo reiterated that passenger safety remains its highest priority as winter weather conditions persist.
