Over 130 Flights Impacted At Delhi Airport Due To Very Dense Fog

Air traffic at Delhi Airport are facing major disruptions on Monday as very dense fog severely reduced visibility, impacting flight operations. According to airport sources, over 130 flights have been affected so far, with 128 cancellations and 8 diversions reported.

The cancellations include 64 arrivals and 64 departures, as airlines struggle to manage schedules amid challenging weather conditions. Additionally, eight flights were diverted to alternate airports due to poor visibility and operational constraints.

Sharing a passenger advisory on X (formerly Twitter), the Delhi Airport informed that "flight operations are currently being conducted under CAT III conditions due to dense fog, which may result in delays or cancellations."

Delhi is in the grip of a severe health emergency as air pollution levels continue to soar. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier issued an orange alert for very dense fog across Delhi-NCR, warning of travel delays and disruptions. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for updated flight information before heading to the airport.

The city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at around 460 early morning, placing it firmly in the “hazardous” category. Nineteen monitoring stations across Delhi reported hazardous air quality, with Anand Vihar recording the highest AQI. Other stations reported levels ranging from “very poor” to “severe.”

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is considering a partnership with IIT Kanpur to deploy Artificial Intelligence for pinpointing pollution sources and evaluating their impact.

Officials said the environment department will soon finalize a roadmap for collaboration, institutional mechanisms, and phased implementation. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized, “We are moving towards a model where decisions are driven by real-time data, source identification, and measurable outcomes, not reactive measures.”

The proposed initiative aims to enable targeted interventions across sectors by strengthening Delhi’s ability to identify pollution sources at a granular level.