Dense Fog Blankets Delhi-NCR As AQI Turns ‘Severe’; Flight Ops Hit, Red Alert Issued

Delhi woke up to another difficult winter morning on Monday as dense fog and toxic smog covered the national capital and surrounding areas. IMD has issued ‘red alert’ for fog in Delhi for the next one hour.

Visibility dropped sharply late on Sunday night and remained poor through the early hours of Monday, making travel slow and risky. The city’s air quality slipped into the ‘severe’ category once again, adding to health concerns for residents.

Several parts of Delhi-NCR, including the AIIMS flyover and Sector 37 in Noida, were seen wrapped in thick haze. Vehicles moved cautiously through the smog, with headlights barely cutting through the polluted air.

‘Severe’ AQI

Delhi’s air quality slipped into the severe category on Monday, with the city’s overall AQI

recorded at 403 and levels crossing 400 at 25 monitoring stations, led by Vivek Vihar (460), Anand Vihar (459), Rohini (445) and Wazirpur (444), highlighting extremely hazardous pollution across large parts of the capital.

Several trains including Rajdhani Express, Vande Bharat and Jan Shatabdi are running late due to fog. A passenger told ANI that his train is running 8 hours late. “I have to go to Kanpur, but the train is running late by eight hours due to dense fog.”

Flight operations hit

Air travel was badly affected due to low visibility. Delhi airport authorities said that flight operations were being carried out only under CAT III conditions, which allow aircraft to take off and land in very poor visibility. 

In the morning, runway visibility was between 100-150 m at Delhi airport.

However, officials warned that delays and cancellations were likely. The airport added that ground staff were deployed across terminals to assist passengers and manage the situation, and travellers were advised to check flight updates directly with their airlines.

Several airlines issued advisories to passengers. IndiGo said that Delhi and Hindon airports remained covered in fog and chilly winter air. The airline noted that fluctuating visibility had led to changes in flight schedules and slower operations. It assured passengers that safety remained the top priority and advised them to regularly check their flight status online. IndiGo also said affected passengers could rebook their journeys or claim refunds through its website, with airport teams available to provide support.

Air India had also issued a warning on Sunday night. The airline said dense fog was expected in parts of northern India, including Delhi, and this could impact flight operations. It said steps had been taken to reduce disruptions, but delays, diversions, or cancellations could still occur. 

Air India said, “Weather forecast for tomorrow morning indicates dense fog with low visibility in parts of northern India, including Delhi, which is likely to impact flight operations. We have taken proactive steps to minimise disruptions (learn more at http://bit.ly/4agYVyF). However, in the event of unexpected delays, diversions, or cancellations, please rest assured that our ground teams will extend all necessary assistance.”

Meanwhile, an Air India Express flight which took off from Goa’s Mopa Airport at 11:55 PM on Sunday night has been stranded at Ahmedabad Airport. The flight was scheduled to land at IGI Airport Terminal 1 at 2:35 AM. However, it was diverted to Ahmedabad as Jaipur Airport was already congested, as various flights were diverted here due to foggy conditions.