Delhi: 53 flights cancelled, 20 trains delayed due to fog

The national capital continues to contend with harsh cold and fog, leading to compromised visibility and disruptions in flight and train services on Wednesday morning. Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport faced significant disruptions, affecting approximately 120 flights, including international ones, which experienced considerable delays. Furthermore, 53 flights were officially canceled on Wednesday due to fog and other operational challenges.

Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System (FIDS) data reveals that among the 120 impacted flights, there were 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals. Additionally, the FIDS data recorded until 8 am on Wednesday indicates that 53 flights, encompassing 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures, and 3 international arrivals, were canceled citing fog and other operational reasons.

Simultaneously, around 20 passenger trains bound for Delhi faced delays on Wednesday. According to the Northern Railways, trains such as Puri-Nizamuddin Purushottam Express and Hyderabad-New Delhi were delayed by approximately 6-6.30 hours. Similarly, Azamgarh-Delhi Junction Kaifiyat Express and Ambedkarnagar-Katra experienced delays and are anticipated to arrive late by about five hours. The Katihar-Amritsar Express is expected to face a delay of four and a half hours.

Six trains, including Rewa-Anand Vihar Express, Vasco-Nizamuddin Express, Bhopal-Nizamuddin Express, Khajarao-Kurukshetra, Amritsar-Mumbai, and Manikpru-Nizamuddin, are likely to be delayed by approximately 2-2.45 hours. Additionally, eight long-distance trains are reported to be delayed by about 1-1.30 hours, including Howrah-Kalka Mail, Saharsa-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar, Chennai-New Delhi, and Jammutawi-Ajmer, according to railway authorities.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) data indicates that visibility dropped below 200 meters in various regions, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Rajasthan, and West and East Uttar Pradesh around 5:30 am on Wednesday. Furthermore, IMD reports dense fog in isolated areas of Delhi, East Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam on Wednesday morning.