Delhi airport operator pauses runway upgrade after flight delays invite criticism

New Delhi: The operator of Delhi International Airport, one of the world's busiest airports, has paused works to upgrade one of its runways after passengers criticised lengthy flight delays, throwing the spotlight on increasing air traffic congestion in major cities in India.

Data from Flightradar24 showed about 400 arrivals and 500 departures were delayed on Sunday - about 60 per cent and 76 per cent of total flights, respectively - which Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said was in part due to adverse wind patterns.

DIAL, which is majority owned by GMR Airports, had shut one of its runways earlier this month to upgrade a system that helps aircraft land safely in low-visibility conditions. The airport has four runways in total.

DIAL will now resume operations on the runway in the first week of May after postponing remaining upgrade activities "for a month or so," it said in a post on X early on Monday. The upgrade works had come ahead of the busy summer travel season in India.

Passengers on social media complained of flights being delayed for hours on Sunday, both in the ground and in the air, raising concerns about stress on pilots.

DIAL pushed back against criticism in a series of X posts, saying plans for runway upgrades were done in consultation with airlines and other stakeholders over four months ago. It said adverse wind conditions had also played a role in the delays.

"When these easterly wind situations have been arising in the past few days...airlines have been advised, in accordance with pre-agreed plans, to adjust flight schedules. However, there was minimal to no changes made," DIAL said.

Delhi airport handled about 78 million passengers in 2024, making it the ninth busiest airport in the world, according to Airports Council International, as air travel booms in India post the pandemic.

To handle the surge in air travel, government authorities have planned for second airports that would serve congested cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. More airports would also accommodate the hundreds of aircraft ordered by domestic airlines IndiGo and Air India Group.