Delhi airport chaos: Flight delays keep troubling flyers; DIAL blames airlines for ‘minimal response’

Passengers lined up at Delhi airport as several flights were delayed. (Image: X)

Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport remained impacted on Monday, with over 250 delays reported due to runway maintenance and changing wind patterns, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

As per data from FlightRadar24, the average delay time clocked in at 24 minutes, leading to widespread passenger frustration.

The ongoing closure of Runway 28/10, shut since April 8 for instrument landing system (ILS) upgrades, has put added pressure on the remaining three operational runways.

Also, unseasonal easterly winds have altered typical flight patterns. As a result, departures are currently restricted to just two runways (09 and 11L), while all arrivals are being funneled through a single runway (11R), significantly reducing the airport’s capacity.

In response to the heavy criticism faced by DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited), the airport operator has assured passengers that the closed runway is expected to be operational again in the first week of May. In a statement on X, DIAL said: “Due to shifting wind patterns, some airline operations may experience delays. All other terminal and runway operations are functioning normally. We regret any inconvenience and appreciate passengers' understanding.”

Airlines have stated they are keeping affected passengers informed via registered contact numbers and have advised travellers to monitor flight statuses closely for real-time updates.

The DIAL also came down heavily on the airlines as it stated that all the airlines received notification about the scheduled runway upgrades and possible wind disruptions four months in advance, but implemented “minimal or no changes” in response.

“The closure of Runway 10/28 since 8th April for essential Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgradation, was planned well in advance in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns over 4 months ago…it was agreed amongst all stakeholders, including Airlines and ATC [air traffic control] that will be temporary capacity constraints for arrivals…,” DIAL said in a statement on X.

“During such moments the Airlines are to reschedule or cancel flights at short notice in interest of passenger safety and convenience… However, there were minimal to no changes made. Unfortunately, this limited action/non-action has led to significant operational challenges for all the stakeholders including Delhi airport and ATC and in the end impacted the passengers significantly,” it added.