Dense fog paralyzes North India; List of services to face severe delay

Delhi: Northern India remained under a thick blanket of dense fog for the second consecutive day, which greatly disrupted daily life. The foggy weather resulted in plunging temperatures and severe travel delays on air and rail operations across many states.

Update issued at 00:05 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/fQZakeRWAV

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) January 3, 2025

Key disruptions at Delhi airport

The Delhi airport has warned passengers of flight disruption due to poor visibility caused by dense fog. It is requested of flyers to contact their respective airlines regarding updated schedules. More than 90 flights were delayed today morning at the Delhi airport alone. All the airports at Srinagar, Chandigarh, Agra, Lucknow, Amritsar, Hindon, and Gwalior reported zero visibility and halted several operations.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Departures and arrivals at #DelhiAirport are currently on hold due to reduced visibility. Please stay updated on your flight status https://t.co/IEBbuCsa3e. Once operations resume, flights may still encounter delays due to airside congestion. (1/2)

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 3, 2025

Train services hit hard

Rail passengers also suffer equally with more than 50 trains running behind schedule in Delhi. Of the delayed ones, the 22436 New Delhi Vande Bharat Express is running over four hours behind schedule, and the Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is 14 hours late. Other notable ones include the New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, which has run over eight hours behind schedule, and the Anand Vihar Terminal Superfast Express that has run behind schedule by more than seven hours.

#TravelAdvisory

Poor visibility due to dense fog is impacting flight operations in Delhi and parts of Northern India. Please check your flight status at: https://t.co/6ajUZVeeIM before heading to the airport.

— Air India (@airindia) January 3, 2025

IMD issues alert of dense fog to continue

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for dense to very dense fog across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and isolated areas in Punjab and Haryana. According to the report by the IMD, zero general visibility was reported at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport this morning. Dense fog is likely to continue in Delhi till January 8, while light rain may occur on January 6.

#WeatherUpdate (03rd Jan'25): Due to bad weather (poor visibility) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status via https://t.co/2wynECZugy.

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) January 3, 2025

Airlines issued alerts

Airline companies have continued to inform the public of delayed flights. IndiGo said, "The airport is experiencing significantly reduced visibility due to fog, impacting flight schedules." Air India also said, "Poor visibility is affecting Delhi and parts of Northern India with regard to flights, and advises passengers to check their flight status." SpiceJet has also requested its passengers to stay updated since the weather will be affecting its departures and arrivals.

Colder and bad air end

As of Saturday morning, Delhi had a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, which was defined as a "cold day" under meteorological definitions. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 240, marked as 'Very Unhealthy.'