Fog disrupts Delhi flights, 148 cancelled

Dense fog blanketed the national capital on the final day of 2025, severely disrupting air travel and throwing New Year plans into disarray at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

As visibility dropped to just a few metres on Wednesday morning, a total of 148 flights were cancelled, including 78 arrivals and 70 departures, while more than 150 other flights faced delays. The poor weather conditions prompted multiple airlines to issue advisories, urging passengers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport.

The weather department had earlier issued a yellow alert for moderate to dense fog on New Year’s Eve. The fog not only disrupted flight schedules but also affected movement across key roads in the city, with visibility remaining extremely low for several hours.

Rail services were also impacted, with several trains running behind schedule due to poor visibility. Passengers were seen waiting at railway stations as train movement slowed across multiple routes in and around the capital.

Adding to the discomfort, Delhi’s air quality remained alarming. The city recorded “very poor” air quality and was close to slipping into the “severe” category, with the overall air quality index touching 383 in the early morning hours.

In a passenger advisory, Delhi airport authorities warned of possible delays and cancellations due to fog and said flight operations were being conducted under CAT III protocols. Passengers were advised to stay in touch with their airlines for real-time updates, while airport ground teams were deployed to assist travelers.

Airlines including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet issued separate advisories acknowledging the impact of dense fog on operations. Air India said it had proactively cancelled some morning flights most likely to be affected to minimise passenger inconvenience and prevent prolonged waiting at airports. The airline also highlighted measures to assist passengers in case of delays, diversions or cancellations, including options to reschedule or seek refunds without penalty for eligible flights.

IndiGo stated that reduced visibility across Delhi and other northern airports could affect arrivals and departures throughout the day, adding that operational adjustments were being made to ensure smoother journeys. The airline assured passengers that timely updates would be shared through registered contact details and digital platforms.

SpiceJet also cautioned that foggy conditions could impact all its departures, arrivals and consequential flights, advising passengers to regularly check their flight status.

With fog continuing to dominate weather conditions, authorities and airlines remained on alert as thousands of travelers navigated disruptions on one of the busiest travel days of the year.