More than 120 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport on Saturday amid dense smog, The Times of India reported.
Of the total, 66 flights were scheduled to arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and 63 were to depart.
Later in the day, the airport issued an advisory, saying that low visibility procedures were in progress. “All flight operations are presently normal,” it said. “Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates.”
The Ministry of Civil Aviation also said that airport operations had been impacted due to prevailing fog conditions in parts of northern India.
“Passengers are advised to proactively check flight status, remain in touch with their airlines and plan travel accordingly,” it stated. “Passenger facilitation teams are available at airports to assist travellers.”
The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert in Delhi for dense to very dense fog, warning that adverse weather conditions were likely to persist through the day, India Today reported.
Fog conditions would remain severe during early morning and late evening hours, increasing the risk of disruptions to road, rail and air travel, it added.
A day earlier, the civil aviation ministry directed airlines to strictly follow passenger facilitation norms during low-visibility conditions, India Today reported.
It directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure compliance, while airlines were asked to provide timely updates on delays, rescheduling, cancellations and diversions across all communication channels.
AQI in the national capital
The cancellations on Saturday came as Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category.
The national capital’s average Air Quality Index stood at 396 at 2.05 pm, according to data from the Sameer application, which provides hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Twenty-two of the city’s 40 monitoring stations recorded AQI readings above 400.
This was a slight increase from a day earlier, when the average AQI stood at 374. The AQI was 373 on Thursday and 334 on Wednesday.
An index value between 301 and 400 indicates “very poor” air. Between 401 and 450 indicates “severe” air pollution, while anything above the 450 threshold is termed “severe plus”.
An AQI in the “severe” and “severe plus” categories signifies hazardous pollution levels that can pose serious risks even to healthy individuals.
Stage 4 restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan have been imposed in Delhi and the National Capital Region amid the pollution levels.
The region has been recording air quality in the “poor” or worse categories since mid-October.
Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world’s most polluted capital. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular pollution, along with the lighting of firecrackers during Diwali, falling temperatures, decreased wind speeds and emissions from industries and coal-fired plants contribute to the problem.
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