Delhites woke up to a hazy morning on December 29 as the cold wave maintained its grip in Northern India. Although the fog conditions at the Indira Gandhi International Airport improved slightly; the lowest visibility was recorded at 150 metres, while the Runway Visual Range (RVR) is in at a range of 400 metres to 800 metres, as per the India Meteorological department.
A least 100 flights have been delayed and a few were cancelled due to low visibility at the IGI (Indira Gandhi International) airport on Dec. 29. Airlines have requested passengers to keep a check on the status of flights on airline websites before leaving for the airport. Passengers who arrived at the airport but were not aware of the delays were seen sitting on the floors and waiting for an update from the airline.
A forecast by the Met Department suggested that visibility may reduce to 0050 metres in very dense fog and it may improve to 0400 metres in moderate fog today at the IGI airport. Passengers complained of difficulties and inconvenience caused due to delays in flights and trains.
A passenger, Mohd Shahrukh complained that his flight was delayed by three hours. "My flight is delayed by almost 3 hours. We had to attend an important event but due to this delay, we will not be able to attend it. A lot of people are facing difficulties due to the delay of flights," he said.
"I have been waiting for 12 hours at T-3 in the cold to catch a flight to Sharjah. The airline made no arrangements for passengers in case of delay in such weather," said Fakrool, a native of Rampur in U.P. According to airport sources, visibility on December 29 fell to 150 metres, which is considered moderate for flight operations.
"No diversions have been reported till 8 a.m. on Dec. 29. There were several delays due to the weather and other conditions," as per sources. "I have a flight to Toronto, and it is delayed. I arrived at the airport in the morning from Punjab, and I am waiting for the update from the airline," said a passenger Kuldeep Singh, who was waiting with his family at IGI airport. Meanwhile, long queues of passengers at the entry gates of the Terminal were also seen.
The low visibility and dense fog also delayed arrival and departure of several Delhi-bound trains. Speaking to ANI, a passenger Subhash said, "Several trains are getting delayed. 8 trains that were supposed to reach last night have not yet arrived. The trains that were supposed to reach this morning are running late by almost 3-4 hours and there is no confirmation when these trains will arrive." The low visibility on roads due to the presence of fog also posed a challenge for the morning commuters. The India Meteorological Department has predicted dense to very dense fog conditions across North Indian states for the next two days.
