Poor air quality and pollution affects Delhi’s air traffic

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Severe weather conditions wreaked havoc at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport), causing substantial disruptions in flight operations on Saturday. A total of 20 flights found themselves diverted due to the adverse weather, with many experiencing delays as a result.

Between the critical hours of 7:30 am and 10:30 am, Delhi’s inclement weather compelled the redirection of 13 flights to Jaipur Airport, while one flight was rerouted to Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, and another found its way to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Additionally, four flights were redirected to Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, while a sole flight ended up at Chandigarh Airport.

A report highlighted the series of disruptions, shedding light on the conditions that led to these diversions. At approximately 8:10 am, the IGI Airport officially announced the implementation of low visibility procedures due to the adverse weather conditions.

Moreover, Delhi’s air quality continued its dismal trend, persisting in the ‘very poor’ category across various areas. Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 375 by 10:00 am. Additionally, Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar exhibited similarly distressing readings, registering AQIs of 388 and 386, respectively, at 6:00 am.

The root cause of the low visibility plaguing several parts of Delhi lies in the city’s chronic air pollution. The thick smog, a hazardous blend of smoke, dust, and various pollutants, significantly impedes sunlight from penetrating the atmosphere, resulting in hazy conditions and reduced visibility.

In the context of the Air Quality Index, the range dictates the severity of air pollution: ‘good’ (0-100), ‘moderate’ (100-200), ‘poor’ (200-300), ‘very poor’ (300-400), and ‘severe’ (400-500 or higher).

Among the affected flights, Vistara Airlines’ UK954 and UK928, en route from Mumbai to Delhi (BOM-DEL), were earlier diverted to Jaipur due to the adverse weather conditions. However, these flights have since resumed their journeys and are anticipated to arrive at Delhi Airport before 11:30 am. Meanwhile, Vistara Airlines’ flight UK906, originating from Ahmedabad to Delhi (AMD-DEL), was redirected back to Ahmedabad due to the challenging weather conditions.

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