Delhi Enveloped in Dense Smog, Flight Operations Severely Affected

Today Weather News Live Updates:A dense layer of smog enveloped Delhi and its adjoining areas on Monday morning, bringing visibility down to near zero in several areas. Visuals from across the city showed roads shrouded in thick fog, forcing vehicles to move slowly. Authorities issued an orange alert for dense fog in the national capital for today. Air quality also deteriorated sharply, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 433, placing it in the ‘severe’ category, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. Visibility remained extremely poor in the early hours. At 5.30 am, Palam reported visibility of around 100 metres since 4.30 am, which later dropped to 50 metres amid dense fog and light westerly winds of 5–7 kmph. Safdarjung and Palam stations in Delhi both recorded visibility of 50 metres, while Hindon in western Uttar Pradesh reported zero visibility. Further, the foggy conditions disrupted flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport, with over 100 flights being cancelled by multiple airlines. While several flights faced delays as airlines adjusted schedules to maintain safety. IndiGo and Air India also issued advisories urging passengers to check flight updates and plan their travel accordingly. Train services were also hit.Follow for live updates. With Delhi reeling under “severe” air quality and low visibility caused by dense fog, police in the national capital have prepared a comprehensive winter safety plan to protect more than 6,000 traffic personnel from the adverse effects of pollution and cold, officials said on Monday. The measures include distributing high-quality air-filter masks and winter gear, besides regular health check-ups to safeguard the personnel deployed for long hours on city roads, a senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said. As Delhi’s air quality stayed in the ‘severe’ category on Monday, the Singapore High Commission in India advised its nationals in the Delhi-NCR region to “pay heed” to guidelines, urging them to stay indoors and wear masks when venturing outside. Dense fog and smog once again disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday morning, sharply reducing visibility across the National Capital Region and triggering a wave of delays and cancellations.At least 100 flights were cancelled and over 300 delayedas airlines adjusted schedules, with authorities saying that operations are currently being conducted under CAT III conditions.Read more The Civil Aviation Ministry on Monday said dense fog continues to disrupt flight operations at several airports across Northern India, leading to possible delays, diversions and cancellations. Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their airlines for real-time updates, regularly check airport and airline websites or apps, and allow extra travel time. Runway visibility has improved and flight operations are gradually returning to normal in Delhi, Delhi’s IGI Airport said. Though a few arrivals and departures may still be affected, it added. IndiGo airline has cancelled over 110 of flights scheduled for December 15 and 16, 2025, across multiple sectors, citing operational disruptions due to fog. The affected services include routes connecting Delhi with major cities such as Varanasi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Patna and Amritsar, along with several regional destinations including Dharamshala, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Guwahati and Imphal. Flights on sectors involving Varanasi, Patna, Indore, Bhopal, Jaipur, Gwalior and other cities have also been impacted. The Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi issued a passenger advisory on Monday, stating that runway visibility is improving, though some flight departures may still be affected. It advised passengers to check the latest flight information with their respective airlines. As dense fog reduced visibility at Delhi and other airports across Northern India on Monday, IndiGo airline also cancelled multiple flights as a precautionary measure. “Prolonged low visibility during the morning hours has impacted air traffic movement, and as a result, some flights have been cancelled to ensure safe and compliant operations through the rest of the day, the airline said. Due to flight cancellations, Air India urged passengers to check the latest flight status on itswebsitebefore heading to the airport. Flights cancelled so far include AI2767/2768, AI1787/1872, AI1721/1837, AI1701/1806, AI1725/1860, AI1745/1890, AI1797/1838, AI1703/1884, AI2653/2808, AI2469/2470, AI866, AI1737/1820, AI1719/1844, AI1785/1851, AI2495/2496, AI1715/1816, AI3313/3314, AI881/882, and AI2465/2880. Amid dense fog in Delhi, Air India announced that several flights have been cancelled as a precaution to ensure passenger safety and avoid prolonged uncertainty. The airline confirmed that operations will resume as soon as conditions improve and emphasized that ground teams are working round the clock to assist affected passengers. IndiGo airline has issued a travel advisory as dense fog in Delhi on Monday morning drastically reduced visibility, affecting flight operations. The airline warned that some flights may be proactively cancelled to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport. “As a precaution, some flights may be proactively cancelled through the day to prioritise safety and help minimise extended waiting at the airport,” the airline said in a post on X. Rajasthan’s Dholpur was shrouded in a thick layer of fog on Monday morning, severely affecting visibility in the city. A resident told ANI, “It wasn’t that cold yesterday, but today it’s very cold, and there’s a lot of fog also,” highlighting the sudden drop in temperature and dense foggy conditions. Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri woke up to a thick blanket of fog on Monday morning, sharply reducing visibility across the city, ANI reported. Residents and commuters faced difficulty navigating through the dense fog as roads and streets were shrouded in a grey haze. The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday issued a heavy fog alert for Delhi and other airports in Northern India, warning that dense fog is severely reducing visibility. Passengers were advised to check the latest flight status with their airlines and via airport websites or apps, and to allow extra travel time. Heavy Fog Alert for Northern India Delhi (DEL) & other airports in Northern India are experiencing dense fog, severely affecting visibility. For Passengers:Before heading to the airport, please check the latest flight status with your airline.Check flight information on the… — MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI)December 15, 2025 Fog has caused significant delays for trains approaching New Delhi Railway Station on Monday morning. As of 9am, over a dozen trains scheduled in the next four hours were running late. The trains facing delays include Bihar Sampark Kranti, running 4 hours 5 minutes late; the Poorva Express and Humsafar Express, both delayed by more than 3 hours; the GT Express, delayed by 4 hours; and the Prayagraj and Tamil Nadu Expresses, each running around 2 hours late. Passengers have been advised to check the latest train schedules before travelling. As dense fog shrouded Delhi-NCR on Monday morning, over 75 flights have been affected at IGI airport. According to an airport official, 40 flights have been cancelled and 4 diverted. Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were affected on Monday morning as dense fog and smog reduced visibility across the National Capital Region. Several flights faced minor delays as airlines adjusted their schedules to ensure passenger safety.Read more