Season’s worst day at IGI: 350 flights hit in peak-hour chaos Neha Lalchandani

Season’s worst day at IGI: 350 flights hit in peak-hour chaos

Neha Lalchandani, TNN | Jan 21, 2012, 05.46AM IST


NEW DELHI: If you were flying in or out of Delhi on Friday, you couldn't have chosen a worse day. Near-zero visibility, an hour-long closure of air space for Republic Day practiceand three VIP movements led to the season's worst disruptions at Indira Gandhi International airport. 

Almost all flights - about 300 - were delayed by 2-8 hours while 28 were cancelled and 19 diverted, as departures were held up completely between 7am and 9am, the peak operation time for domestic flights. Low-visibility procedures due to fog were lifted only at 12.50pm, more than 11 hours after being imposed. 

It was the season's third most severe fog cover. Met officials said such was its impact that the city's maximum temperature did not rise above 14.6 degrees Celsius, 7 degrees below normal - the season's lowest after 14 degrees recorded on January 17.