Delhi Airport Operations Impacted by Dense Fog and Severe Air Pollution: Aviation Ministry Reviews

New Delhi:

Civil Aviation ministry officials conducted an inspection at Delhi airport's Operations Control Centre today as dense fog significantly impacted air travel. According to FlightRadar24, approximately 100 flights were cancelled and over 300 experienced delays at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Sources indicated that officials assessed the current situation and conducted a review of real-time operations.

In response to reports suggesting malfunction of the CAT III system—an advanced landing technology designed for aircraft operations during extremely low visibility conditions—Delhi airport authorities confirmed the system was functioning properly. The Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) issued a statement confirming that flight movements were successfully conducted under CAT III procedures.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 456 at 6 am, marking this season's second-worst air quality reading.

For reference, AQI values between zero and 50 are categorized as 'good', 51-100 as 'satisfactory', 101-200 as 'moderate', 201-300 as 'poor', 301-400 as 'very poor', and 401-500 as 'severe'.

Later in the day, the Union Environment Minister presided over a review meeting concerning anti-pollution action plans for Ghaziabad and Noida, part of a series of upcoming review sessions focused on the Delhi-NCR region.