Delhi Airport Dec 16 fog advisory: Check flight delays, updates

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday issued a fog advisory, cautioning passengers about possible flight delays and disruptions as dense fog continued to affect visibility across the national capital.

In a post shared on X at around 6:06 am, Delhi Airport said flight operations were gradually returning to normal, but delays could still occur for certain arrivals and departures due to prevailing weather conditions. Passengers were advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.

“Flight operations are steadily recovering, but disruptions may persist for certain departures and arrivals,” the airport authority said, adding that additional ground staff had been deployed across terminals to assist travellers. “We appreciate your cooperation and understanding,” the post noted.

The advisory comes amid persistent dense fog and hazardous air quality in Delhi, which has significantly reduced early morning visibility and impacted air traffic movement.

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 378 at around 8 am, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category. While this marked a slight improvement from Monday evening, when AQI levels touched 427 (‘severe’), pollution levels remained dangerously high across large parts of the city.

Several areas continued to record alarming pollution levels. India Gate reported an AQI of 380, while Sarai Kale Khan recorded around 359, both categorised as ‘very poor’. Meanwhile, Ghazipur and Anand Vihar remained among the worst-affected areas, with AQI levels hovering around 410, falling under the ‘severe’ category.

Under the AQI scale, values between 301 and 400 are classified as ‘very poor’, while readings above 400 are considered ‘severe’.

Air quality across other major Indian cities showed comparatively better conditions. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai recorded AQI levels ranging between 100 and 135, largely in the ‘moderate’ to ‘satisfactory’ categories. Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna and Pune also reported ‘moderate’ air quality.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the Expert Committee constituted by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to address vehicular emissions in Delhi-NCR was held on Monday.

Chaired by Ashok Jhunjhunwala and co-chaired by Prof Randeep Guleria, the committee discussed segment-wise vehicular emission contributions, exposure risks, and electric vehicle readiness and infrastructure requirements.

The committee is expected to present actionable recommendations in upcoming meetings as Delhi continues to battle severe air pollution. With AQI levels recently crossing the 450 mark (‘severe plus’), CAQM has already enforced Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to curb further deterioration in air quality.