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29 March 2024

Thick Delhi fog disrupts UAE flights

Passengers wrapped in warm clothes wait on the platform of a railway station in dense fog in New Delhi. (AFP)

Published
By Joseph George

Flights to and fropm New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport continue to be delayed for a second consecutive day with visibility levels at the airport reduced to less than 50 metres.

Twelve international flights, including from the UAE and other Gulf countries, have been cancelled, delayed or diverted to nearby airports.

Emirates’ EK510 that was scheduled to depart from Dubai airport at 10.55pm (local time) last night is now expected to reach New Delhi at 12.15 in the afternoon (India time).

Other flights that have been affected include Indian Airlines, Air India and a Kingfisher flights from Dubai, and a flight each of Etihad and Jet Airways from Abu Dhabi.

Reports quoting the Met department said the RVR on Runway 28 at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport this morning was 200 metres while it plunged at Runway 29 to just 125 metres.

The Indian government on Sunday brought down the minimum take-off visibility from 150m to 125m for small aircraft and from 175m to 150m for the big aircraft.

On Sunday alone, about 75 flights were either cancelled or diverted. The maximum temperature in New Delhi is three degrees below normal.