<p>Dense fog had an unlikely fallout on Tuesday: the airport had to cancel runway maintenance to clear its flight traffic backlog.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Visibility fell below the stipulated level for the second time in three days, and as a result, airport operations were suspended in the early hours.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nine flights were cancelled and 83 delayed. The delays had a cascading effect, with dozens of planes queuing up for take-off well into the day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The airport pauses operations every Tuesday between 12.30 and 3 pm for what it calls 'deep runway maintenance'. </p>.<p class="bodytext">An airport spokesperson said everyday maintenance would take care of the runway, and the cancellation of deep maintenance was no cause for worry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We wanted to ensure passengers were affected to the least extent possible," he told DH.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the wee hours</p>.<p class="bodytext">Fog engulfed the airport at 4.37 am. Operations were suspended for close to three hours, till 7.45 am.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A hundred flights were disrupted. Five departures and four arrivals were cancelled. Four passenger flights, including two international ones, were diverted to Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Among the 83 delayed flights, 28 were arrivals, and 55 departures.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Expert's take</p>.<p class="bodytext">Runway maintenance is best done to a regular schedule, an expert said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is just like car maintenance. If you skip it, the risk of breakdown increases," Rajiv Chib, aviation analyst, told DH.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BoX</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foggiest week</p>.<p class="bodytext">This could be the worst fog-hit week as far as the Bengaluru airport is concerned.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It has seen 179 flight delays, 18 cancellations, and nine diversions to Chennai in just two days.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Sunday, nine flights were cancelled and 96 delayed, while five were diverted to Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Infographic</p>.<p class="bodytext">Visibility issues </p>.<p class="bodytext">Take-off<br />400 metres</p>.<p class="bodytext">Landing <br />550 metres</p>.<p class="bodytext">(Mandatory visibility, according to the Director General of Civil Aviation)</p>
<p>Dense fog had an unlikely fallout on Tuesday: the airport had to cancel runway maintenance to clear its flight traffic backlog.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Visibility fell below the stipulated level for the second time in three days, and as a result, airport operations were suspended in the early hours.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nine flights were cancelled and 83 delayed. The delays had a cascading effect, with dozens of planes queuing up for take-off well into the day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The airport pauses operations every Tuesday between 12.30 and 3 pm for what it calls 'deep runway maintenance'. </p>.<p class="bodytext">An airport spokesperson said everyday maintenance would take care of the runway, and the cancellation of deep maintenance was no cause for worry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We wanted to ensure passengers were affected to the least extent possible," he told DH.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the wee hours</p>.<p class="bodytext">Fog engulfed the airport at 4.37 am. Operations were suspended for close to three hours, till 7.45 am.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A hundred flights were disrupted. Five departures and four arrivals were cancelled. Four passenger flights, including two international ones, were diverted to Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Among the 83 delayed flights, 28 were arrivals, and 55 departures.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Expert's take</p>.<p class="bodytext">Runway maintenance is best done to a regular schedule, an expert said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is just like car maintenance. If you skip it, the risk of breakdown increases," Rajiv Chib, aviation analyst, told DH.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BoX</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foggiest week</p>.<p class="bodytext">This could be the worst fog-hit week as far as the Bengaluru airport is concerned.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It has seen 179 flight delays, 18 cancellations, and nine diversions to Chennai in just two days.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Sunday, nine flights were cancelled and 96 delayed, while five were diverted to Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Infographic</p>.<p class="bodytext">Visibility issues </p>.<p class="bodytext">Take-off<br />400 metres</p>.<p class="bodytext">Landing <br />550 metres</p>.<p class="bodytext">(Mandatory visibility, according to the Director General of Civil Aviation)</p>