Why is Delhi Airport struggling with flight delays and diversions

Chaos at Delhi airport

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has been lately struggling with significant flight delays and diversions.

On Sunday, thousands of passengers were affected as over 68% flights were delayed, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Additionally, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X after his flight to Delhi got diverted to Jaipur before landing in the national capital.

"Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French but I’m in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I’ve no idea what time we will leave from here," the Chief Minister posted on X.

Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French but Im in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. Ive no idea what time we will leave from pic.twitter.com/RZ9ON2wV8E
Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 19, 2025

In response, the Delhi airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) cited multiple reasons behind the Chaos ensuing at the IGI airport.

Closure of Runway 10/28

Closure of Runway 10/28 for upgradation is one of the reasons behind the delays at the IGI airport. Currently, only two of the runways can operate in low visibility conditions from both ends while Runway 10/28 can handle low visibility operations from just one of its ends.

After the upgradation, three runways will be available for low visibility operations which will be beneficial in during severe fog that engulfs North Indian regions in Winter.

“The plan to shut down the runway was taken in consultation with all stakeholders. All airlines were told to reduce flights,” an airport source told The Indian Express.

Shutdown of Terminal 2

Terminal 2 was recently shutdown for repair works and all of its operations were shifted to Terminal 1. Approximately 270 flights and 50,000 passengers will be now be using Terminal 1 following the closure.

The IGI Airport has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. Terminal 2 has been temporarily shut down till September to refurbish it to increase its passenger handling capacity.

Meanwhile, on the same day Terminal 2's operations were shifted to Terminal 1, passengers faced inconvenience due to a technical glitch at the baggage check-in. Passengers faced delays in check-in, flight departures and baggage delivery.

Unfavourable weather conditions

Bad weather conditions is also one the major reasons behind the disruption at the Delhi airport. Heavy thunderstorms and shifting wind patterns over the last 5 days have also caused delays.

“The easterly winds, which usually start after May 15, have started right from April this time around,” a source said.

“Due to shifting wind patterns in the vicinity of the airport, Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures for flight arrivals have been implemented from 1230 IST till 1630 IST today…All other airport operations and 3 runways at Delhi Airport continue to function as scheduled. However, certain flight arrivals may experience delays or adjustments,” DIAL said in a social media post on April 17.