Delhi faced a double whammy on Friday and Saturday due to a dust storm and airport upgradation. The first disruption was the diversion of many incoming flights to other cities due to the stormy weather, and the second was the closure of the main runway for upgradation, leading to network-wide delays on Saturday.
Impact on Incoming Flights
- Over 40 Delhi-bound flights were diverted due to stormy conditions on Friday.
- The strong thunderstorm, with winds reaching 74kmph, hit IGI Airport around 6.30pm and created chaos.
- The sudden change in wind speed impacted take-offs and landings, with Air Traffic Control suspending operations for nearly 45 minutes.
- The inclement weather caused a cascading effect with many flights arriving and leaving late from Friday evening to early Saturday.
According to the airport’s data, over 350 departures from IGI Airport were affected between midnight and 2pm on Saturday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The average delay was 40 minutes, and many airlines had to cancel flights due to the scale of disruptions.
Airlines’ Response
| Airlines | Response |
|---|---|
| IndiGo | “Ongoing air traffic congestion in Delhi is causing flights to be held for takeoff and landing clearance. Due to the consequential impact, a few flights across the network are impacted too…. recommend checking flight status on our website or app for the latest information. At Delhi Airport, pre-departure formalities are being completed as we await clearance.” |
| Air India | “Disruptions have a cascading impact on flight schedules, we are making every effort to manage them effectively and minimise inconvenience, but some delays or changes may still occur.” |
| Other airlines | “The weather-related disruption was such that despite our best efforts, there has been unavoidable inconvenience which we regret. This factor was beyond our control.” |
Many passengers took to social media to complain about the chaos at the airport, sharing pictures and videos of overcrowded boarding gates. “There is utter chaos,” said Dr Shalabh Kumar, a passenger, who shared a video of a jam-packed gate at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 on Saturday at 7am.
Airport Response
“The previous night’s inclement weather significantly impacted flight operations across the country. With disruptions continuing, Delhi Airport posted an update at 5pm: ‘Flight operations at Delhi Airport are normal, but some airlines are still affected by last night’s weather conditions. Our teams are working hard to minimise inconvenience. Please check flight status on our website and airline websites for updates.’
The main runway was closed on Tuesday for about four months. IGIA has four runways, and currently, three of them are operational. When changed wind direction (easterlies) leads to aircraft landing from Dwarka/Gurgaon side and taking off towards Vasant Vihar, instead of the other way round when westerlies blow.
Impact on Future Flights
- Current Status
- Currently, two runways can be used for either during westerly time, thereby reducing delays.
- Future Impact
- When easterlies prevail, as has often been the case since Tuesday, departures can happen from two runways and arrivals only on one.
- Westerlies
- When westerlies blow, which is mostly the case, runway 27/09 can be used in mixed mode to handle both arrivals and departures, while runway 29L and 29R are used for only arrivals and departures, respectively.
With thousands of passengers stranded and flights delayed, the situation is expected to improve as the main runway is expected to reopen soon.
news is a contributor at FuelBirds. We are committed to providing well-researched, accurate, and valuable content to our readers.
