Operations at Delhi Airport Resume After Fog Clears

At least 10 trains to and from Delhi were delayed, and departures of several flights were put on hold earlier in the day.  

(Photo: ANI screengrab)

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

Operations at the Delhi airport resumed after being put on hold earlier in the day due to low visibility. Dense fog and bad air quality had resulted in several trains and flights being delayed in Delhi early on Friday, 18 January.

At least 10 trains were delayed in the morning.

At the airport, while departures were largely stopped between 5:30 am and 10:20 am, arrivals were happening only intermittently between 6 am and 7:20 am, an official said. Five flights were also diverted.

Visuals of thick fog from Ring Road.(Photo: ANI)

“The visibility significantly improved between 9:20 am and 10:20 am. This allowed us to resume departures properly from 10:20 am onward.”

Airport Official

According to ANI, the fog had reduced the visibility to just 50 metres, and the minimum runway visibility required for take off is 125 metres at the Delhi airport.

Vistara Airlines tweeted at 8:23 am, "Due to dense fog and poor visibility in Delhi, delays are expected for both arrivals and departures with likely consequential impact on flights across the network."

"Currently, flight departures from Delhi are on hold and will resume by 0930 hrs subject to weather clearance," it added.

Jet Airways also tweeted at 6:33 am that some of its flights had been affected due to dense fog at Delhi and Bengaluru airports.

The official data maintained by state-run SAFAR said the air quality on Friday fell into ‘severe’ due to the fog, with PM 2.5 being at 146 and PM 10 shooting up to 233 in the city.

The Air Quality Index reached as high as 449 in the Delhi University area of North Delhi.

Visuals of thick fog from Ring Road.(Photo: ANI)

SAFAR advised Delhi’s residents to avoid all physical activity outdoors, as the dense fog made the air quality worse.

Visuals of the fog at Delhi’s RK Puram.(Photo: ANI)

“If asthmatic, keep relief medicine handy. Sensitive groups must stop outdoor activity at early morning and after sunset times. Avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Go for a short walk instead of a jog and take more breaks. Stop any activity level if you experience any unusual coughing, chest discomfort, wheezing, breathing difficulty, or fatigue. If the room has windows, close them. If the air conditioner provides a fresh air intake option, keep that closed.”

SAFAR Advisory