Flight operations at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi were severely impacted on Tuesday as visibility plummeted to 50 meters, considered zero visibility, according to airport sources. Although there was a slight improvement at 8:30 a.m. with visibility reaching 75 meters, it dropped back to 50 meters.
Airport sources revealed that weather conditions led to significant delays in flight operations, and there were possibilities of diversions. Five flights were diverted to Jaipur between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. due to adverse weather conditions at Delhi airport.
Delhi Airport sent out a passenger caution for the second day in a row, warning that although landings and takes-offs are proceeding, flights that do not meet CAT III criteria may encounter delays. For the most recent flight information, travelers were advised to get in touch with their airlines; the alert expressed regret for any trouble caused.
To enable accurate approaches and landings in limited visibility, the airport authorities implemented the CAT-III Instrument Landing technology (ILS), an anti-fog landing technology.
Simultaneously, North India experienced a continuation of winter chill, with cities like Prayagraj, Ghaziabad, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and Moga in Punjab facing cold waves and dense fog on Tuesday morning. Satellite images released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) depicted fog over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Delhi-NCR region was shrouded in dense fog as temperatures dropped to nearly 7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the IMD. The IMD also issued a warning about potential health impacts due to the dense fog, citing concerns about particulate matter and pollutants causing respiratory issues and eye infections.