✈️ Delhi Airport Chaos: 68% Flights Delayed Amid Poor Planning, Runway Closure

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.

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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.

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📊 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

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🧭 What Caused the Gridlock?

1. 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.
2. Easterly Winds:
   A seasonal shift in wind direction, combined with runway limitations, cut arrival capacity from 46 to just 32 flights per hour.
3. Failure to Adjust Flight Schedules:
   Airlines did not heed DIAL and DGCA advisories, opting not to trim summer schedules.
4. Terminal Shift:
   On April 15, Terminal 2 was shut, and all flights shifted to the expanded Terminal 1, further adding to logistical stress.

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📣 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.”

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📉 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.

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📅 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

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💬 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.”

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🔄 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

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🏷️ 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