Dense fog covers Delhi; low visibility hampers flight operations

New Delhi [India]: Flight services were disrupted at the Delhi International Airport owing to the thick blanket of fog that enveloped parts of the national capital on Tuesday morning.

The dense fog engulfing the Delhi-NCR region lowered visibility in many areas.
Several domestic and international flights are running behind schedule following the layer of fog in parts of the country.

Delhi Airport issued an advisory on Tuesday stating that flights not meeting the CAT III (Category III) standards might encounter disturbances while landing and taking off.

The Delhi Airport advisory also requested that passengers contact airlines for updated information.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport tweeted on X, “While landings and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.”

“Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” the post said.

CAT III is a navigation system that helps planes land in low-visibility conditions, such as dense fog, snow and rain. It allows for landings with a minimum visibility of 50 metres.

The month of January is seeing dense fog, causing a serious decline in both general visibility and runway visual range visibility, leading to the disruption of flight movement as the visibility falls below certain standards.

Meanwhile, passengers at the New Delhi Railway Station faced difficulties with trains running off-schedule due to inclement weather.

On Monday too, fog and cold conditions affected rail and air traffic in the national capital, with several trains and flights delayed.

According to the India Meteorological Department shallow fog was expected in several parts of the national capital on January 30.