Dense fog hits Delhi again, flight delays and cancellations likely; DIAL issues advisory

Delhi continues to struggle with severe air pollution as dense smog blankets the national capital day after day, badly affecting daily life. Poor air quality and low visibility have disrupted air travel, road traffic and train services.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 408 during the early morning hours on Tuesday. Several parts of the city slipped into the ‘severe’ pollution category. Dwarka recorded one of the worst readings, with an AQI of 435 at around 5.30 am.

Residents across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) also woke up to cold and foggy weather. The minimum temperature hovered around 11°C, which, combined with heavy pollution, further reduced visibility on roads and at transport hubs.

Thick smog in the early morning hours made commuting difficult for motorists, pedestrians and public transport users. Traffic moved slowly on many arterial roads as well.

Weather officials said the combination of calm winds, cold temperatures and high pollution levels has trapped pollutants close to the ground, worsening the smog situation.

Air travel has been among the worst affected. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Tuesday morning said flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) are being conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog. Under CAT III, aircraft can land in extremely low or near-zero visibility using advanced/autoland systems RVR below 300 m, but delays and cancellations remain likely.

On Monday, more than 500 flights were delayed and at least 14 flights were cancelled at IGIA due to fog and poor visibility. An airport official said the cancelled flights included six arrivals and eight departures, some of them international services. IGIA, the country’s busiest airport, handles around 1,300 flights daily.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the average delay on Monday exceeded 30 minutes. Similar disruptions have been reported at several airports across north India over the past few days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dense to very dense fog during night and morning hours in the coming days. Fog is expected over Punjab until December 27, Uttar Pradesh until December 23 and again from December 25 to 28, and over Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from December 24 to 27.

Dense fog is also likely in parts of the western Himalayan region, Bihar and Odisha in the coming days, officials said.