Delhi and surrounding areas were engulfed in a thick fog on Friday, as a severe cold wave continued to affect North India. The dense fog caused major disruptions to flight and train operations, while road traffic slowed dramatically due to near-zero visibility in many areas. Meanwhile, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital worsened, reaching a hazardous level of 409, marking it as 'severe.'
Flight operations at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi were severely affected on Friday, as zero visibility disrupted air traffic on a large scale. In light of the ongoing weather conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the city.
The weather department warned that the conditions "may affect airports, highways and railway routes and difficult driving conditions with slower journey times". The Delhi Airport's advisory said, "Due to dense fog, there has been an impact on flight departures. However, flights which are CAT III compliant (capable of low visibility operation) are able to land and depart from Delhi airport".
At IGI Airport, over 90 departures were delayed and three cancelled, while 35 arrivals were delayed and one cancelled. Kolkata Airport saw delays in 12 flights, with 6 departures and 6 arrivals affected. Similar disruptions occurred at airports across North India, including in Agra, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Amritsar, according to Flightradar.