Air India and IndiGo issue urgent advisories as over 300 flights delayed at IGI airport

Heavy rains and gusty winds in Delhi-NCR disrupt flight operations, causing delays and diversions. Airlines issue advisories as IMD predicts more thunderstorms, impacting travel plans and airport schedules.

Delhi rains — Air India, IndiGo Issue Advisory Amid Delhi Rains

Heavy rain and strong winds battered parts of Delhi-NCR yesterday, causing flights to Delhi to be delayed, diverted and hit by travel chaos. Passengers were greeted with last-minute advisories by airlines who asked them to check the status of their flights amid weather activity caused due to an active western disturbance.

Flight schedules go haywire due to stormy weather

Delhi and parts of NCR experienced heavy showers and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph last night. As a result, Delhi airport witnessed major disruptions with over 300 flights getting delayed and over 20 flights being diverted from Delhi. Separately, at least 16 flights were diverted away from Delhi airport due to sudden rain and dust storms in Delhi-NCR with most of the flights diverted to Jaipur due to poor visibility conditions affecting landing operations.

Passengers faced anxiety due to uncertainty over when flights would take off.

Also read: Delhi weather update: Relief for residents as rain and strong winds hit Delhi NCR

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Delhi flights: Airlines advise passengers

Leading airlines operating in and out of Delhi airport such as IndiGo and Air India issued advisories last night asking travellers to confirm their flight statuses before heading to the airport and leave home with some time to spare. Airline advisories came shortly after Delhi was hit by erratic rains and gusty winds and stated that flight schedules could change due to weather abnormalities. Passengers were told that while disruptions are normal during extreme weather events, the safety of their passengers is their utmost priority.

Weather alerts issued by IMD. Rain to continue in Delhi-NCR

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has alerted Delhi-NCR about more weather activity in the following two days. Delhi will also experience thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in the coming days which will provide respite from rising temperatures. However, this comes as yet another blow for travellers as rail, road and flight services may see disruption.

“The rain is caused by an active western disturbance impacting North India which has caused a lot of moisture in the atmosphere as a result of which weather conditions will remain unstable,” said a meteorologist to HT.

Good news: Rain cools down temperatures

The rain from last night provided Delhiites with respite from the heat which many states started experiencing early this year. However, it also highlighted how fragile transport services and flight schedules are towards erratic rainfall as several roads in Delhi were seen waterlogging which did not make commuting to the airport any easier.

How to navigate if you’re a traveller:

Confirm flight status before leaving for airport
Keep in contact with airline customer care numbers
Keep some time to spare for travel
Keep checking with IMD and airport for notifications
Rain is expected to continue in Delhi over the next few days which may lead to more disruptions.

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The Times Of Bengal