Fog disrupt flight operations at Delhi airport, 66 flights cancelled

As many as 66 flights were cancelled at Delhi airport on Friday after dense fog and poor visibility disrupted air operations in the national capital reported the PTISources told the PTI that airlines cancelled both incoming and outgoing flights as safety conditions worsened during the morning hoursOf the total cancellations 32 were arrival flights while 34 were departures affecting hundreds of passengers travelling to and from DelhiSources said several airlines took precautionary measures due to reduced visibility caused by fog Flight operations were impacted despite improved infrastructure as visibility levels dropped below safe limits for standard landings according to the PTIDGCA declares official fog periodIndiarsquos aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA has declared the period from 10 December to 10 February as the official fog season for winter operationsDuring this period airlines are required to strictly follow special operational guidelines to ensure passenger safetySpecial aircraft and trained pilots mandatoryUnder DGCA norms airlines must deploy CATIIIB compliant aircraft and ensure that pilots trained for lowvisibility operations are rostered during foggy conditionsThese measures help maintain flight safety when visibility is severely reducedWhat is categoryIII landing systemThe CategoryIII landing system is an advanced navigation technology that allows aircraft to land safely during heavy fogCategoryIII A permits landing when the runway visual range RVR is up to 200 metres andCategoryIII B allows landings even when visibility drops to below 50 metresSuch systems play a crucial role in keeping airports operational during winter fog conditionsDense fog and smog blanket DelhiMeanwhile Delhi woke up to a thick blanket of smog and dense fog on Friday sharply reducing visibility across many parts of the national capital The poor weather conditions affected normal morning movement even as Republic Day rehearsals continued at India Gate as per the ANIDrone visuals from Sarai Kale Khan around 715 am showed extremely low visibility Ground visuals from areas such as AIIMS Akshardham Temple and other localities showed roads buildings and vehicles covered in fog and smog Cold wave conditions further worsened the situation making travel difficult for commuters as per the ANIAir Quality remains very poorDelhirsquos air quality stayed in the lsquovery poorrsquo category for the second day of the New Year 2026 According to the Central Pollution Control Board CPCB the cityrsquos overall Air Quality Index AQI stood at 348 at around 800 am close to the lsquoseverersquo categorySeveral monitoring stations reported high pollution levels Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 348 RK Puram 319 Rohini 315 and Mundka 324 Chandni Chowk stood at 340 while ITO recorded 292 Bawana and IGI Airport reported AQI levels of 227 and 219 respectively indicating poor to very poor air quality across most areasWeather update from IMDThe India Meteorological Department IMD said Delhi recorded a temperature of around 11 degrees Celsius on Friday morning Very dense fog was observed during the early hours and similar conditions were expected to persist through the dayAccording to IMD the cityrsquos maximum temperature is likely to remain between 15 degrees Celsius and 17 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature may range from 9 degrees Celsius to 11 degrees Celsius Minimum temperatures are expected to stay above normal while maximum temperatures are likely to remain below normal Weather conditions are expected to improve from Saturdaywith PTI and ANI inputs