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About 200 flights were delayed and train services disrupted as Delhi woke up to thick fog engulfing the capital on Wednesday.
The flight departures were delayed for an average of 60 minutes at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, according to FlightRader24. Visibility at the airport was between 0 to 100m, the weather office said.
India’s weather department had issued an orange alert for Delhi, the second highest warning level, forecasting dense to very dense fog in many areas. Some aircraft departures from Delhi were delayed but there have been no reports of flights being cancelled in the capital.
The Delhi airport on X warned that flights lacking the CAT III navigation, which enables landing despite low visibility, would face difficulties. Delhi’s main airport handles about 1,400 flights every day.
“Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, multiple flights have been impacted. We are working closely with our stakeholders to assist passengers and minimize any inconvenience caused,” the airport authorities said in its latest update.
Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet and other airlines have issued advisories over the fog affecting departures and arrivals. “Poor visibility due to dense fog and airport congestion may affect flight operations in Delhi and some other cities today,” Air India said in a statement.
The country’s largest airline Indigo added: “The morning fog continues to linger over Delhi and has brought a bit of a slowdown to flight movements.
“We may complete boarding and other formalities so that your flight is in queue for departure. You may spend a short while onboard, as the flight awaits clearance.”
Local media showed images of vehicles crawling along highways through the fog, and people huddled indoors as the temperature dipped to 7C, about 1.4 notches below normal, due to an ongoing cold wave.
The weather department has asked people to exercise caution while driving due to foggy conditions, which was expected to prevail till the end of the day. It said cloudy skies with light rain or drizzle were likely in some areas throughout the day.
At least 40 trains were running late due to the weather conditions.
Schools in the capital were shut until Wednesday due to severe cold wave conditions.
The average air quality in the capital plunged to “very poor” category recording between 301 to 400. In the northern parts of the city, an AQI of 474 was recorded at 12.45pm (local time).
The Indian capital battles smog, a toxic mix of pollutants and fog, every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from farm fires in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
The National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed the worst fog this winter between 2 and 3 January, when visibility was reduced to zero for an unprecedented duration of nine hours. Last year was marked by particularly severe air pollution in Delhi, with 17 days classified as having a “severe” AQI of over 400, the most since 2022.