Fog disrupts 53 flights at KIA

Fifty-three flights were disrupted as thick fog continued to play spoilsport at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here on Sunday.

Travel plans of hundreds of passengers went haywire in a repeat of similar incidents reported for the past many days.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) officials said visibility dropped to near zero at the airport, delaying the departure of 38 flights in the morning. The arrival of 11 flights from different destinations was also delayed.

Four incoming airlines were diverted to other airports. These included an Air India flight from Ahmedabad, which was diverted to Chennai. Another Air India flight from Vishakhapatnam was asked to head towards Hyderabad, while an IndiGo flight from Delhi was also diverted to the Telangana capital.

An international flight from Dubai, an Air India service was diverted to Chennai.

Flight delays this season have been particularly severe as the city airport has emerged as the country’s third busiest. A respite to this annual disruption is expected only after the commercial launch of the second runway, construction of which is currently underway.