Warnings about summer disruption were issued 4 months ago, but airlines failed to act, leading to mayhem for thousands of passengers.
New Delhi, April 21, 2025 —
Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were thrown into disarray on Sunday, with over 68% of arrivals and departures delayed, as a cascade of planning failures and ignored warnings finally culminated in travel chaos.
The closure of Runway 10/28 for Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgrades—right at the peak of the summer travel season—coupled with an unexpected shift in wind direction, brought the airport’s capacity crashing down.
Despite being notified four months ago, airlines reportedly made “minimal or no changes” to their schedules, worsening the situation for both passengers and airport authorities.
📊 Key Stats from Sunday’s Meltdown:
- Flights delayed: 885 (501 departures, 384 arrivals)
- Total daily flights at Delhi airport: ~1300
- Departure delay average: 1 hour
- Arrival delay average: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Runway affected: 10/28 (closed since April 8 for CAT III-B upgrade)
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🛑 DIAL’s Statement:
“The closure of Runway 10/28 was planned in consultation with all stakeholders. However, airlines failed to reschedule flights, leading to severe operational bottlenecks,”
— Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL)
They added that the runway will reopen in the first week of May, with remaining upgrade work deferred temporarily to ease capacity.
Also Read: “Bloody Sh*t Show”: Omar Abdullah Slams Delhi Airport After Flight Diverted to Jaipur
🧭 What Caused the Gridlock?
- Runway 10/28 Closure:
The critical runway was shut on April 8 to upgrade to CAT III-B ILS—essential for low-visibility operations in winter. - Easterly Winds:
A seasonal shift in wind direction, combined with runway limitations, cut arrival capacity from 46 to just 32 flights per hour. - Failure to Adjust Flight Schedules:
Airlines did not heed DIAL and DGCA advisories, opting not to trim summer schedules. - Terminal Shift:
On April 15, Terminal 2 was shut, and all flights shifted to the expanded Terminal 1, further adding to logistical stress.
📣 Passenger Voices:
J&K CM Omar Abdullah, whose flight was diverted, took to X (formerly Twitter) saying:
“Delhi airport is a bloody s**t show… 3 hours in the air after leaving Jammu, then diverted to Jaipur. I’m now stuck on the steps of the plane at 1 AM.”
Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French but I’m in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I’ve no idea what time we will leave from… pic.twitter.com/RZ9ON2wV8E
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 19, 2025
📉 Capacity Drop Explained:
- Westerly Winds: 74 flights/hr (normal capacity)
- Easterly Winds with Runway 10/28 closed: 32 flights/hr (arrival cap)
- Flight path conflict: Runways 09 and 11R intersect mid-air at 7.6 nautical miles, needing a 100–110 second gap between arrivals.
📅 Timeline of Events:
- Sep 2023: Runway 10/28 closed for recarpeting
- Feb 2024: Reopened
- April 8, 2025: Shut again for ILS upgrade
- April 15, 2025: Terminal 2 closed, traffic shifted to Terminal 1
- April 21, 2025: Travel chaos peaks as 68% of flights are delayed
💬 Expert Views:
🛫 Mohan Ranganathan, Aviation Safety Expert:
“It’s the airlines that failed to trim operations. DGCA should’ve mandated a revised summer schedule.”
🛫 Former airline exec:
“No airline wants to cancel flights and lose revenue. But this chaos could end up costing them more.”
🔄 What’s Next?
- Wind direction expected to return to normal in 48 hours, per IMD
- Runway 10/28 to reopen in early May
- DGCA likely to review airline compliance and issue revised guidelines
🏷️ Tags:
Delhi Airport delays, Runway 10/28 closure, Delhi flight chaos, Terminal 1, DGCA runway upgrade, IMD wind forecast, CAT III-B upgrade, DIAL, airline flight cancellations