Flight operations suspended due to dense fog at IGI

No flights have taken-off or landed after 8 am as the runway visibility dropped to 50 metres on both the runways due to dense fog that enveloped the airport early this morning, airport sources said. About 12 incoming and outgoing morning flights were cancelled.

According to Met Department, the fog started to descend on the airport in the wee hours and it began to thicken around 5 am, reducing the general visibility to less than 50 metres while runway visibility was reduced to around 250 metres. Within an hour, the runway visibility dropped to 75 metres and by 7.30 am it further deteriorated to 50 metres, affecting the movement of several morning flights.

No flights could land even using the CAT-III B instrument landing system, as the minimum permissible limit to land under such conditions is 50 metres, while the limit for low visibility take-off is 150 metres.

"Our first flight takes off at around 6 am but no flights have departed," said an Air India official, adding no flight has arrived also due to poor visibility. Delhi's airspace would also remained close for an hour between 11.15 am and 12.15 pm for fly-past of Indian Air Force aircraft during the Republic Day parade.

After remaining disrupted for almost a week, Delhi airport yesterday witnessed a fog-free day helping the airlines to maintain its schedule. The Met department said that the fog could dissipate only after 11.30 am and by 1.30 it would turn into shallow fog.