Delhi Dust Storm Disrupts Air Travel: 15 Flights Diverted, Several Delayed at IGI

New Delhi: At least 15 flights were diverted and several others were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Friday evening after dust storms and strong gusty winds disrupted air traffic, according to airport sources.

The sudden change in weather conditions reduced visibility and created unsafe flying conditions, forcing pilots and air traffic control to divert incoming flights to nearby airports including Jaipur, Lucknow, and Amritsar, officials said.

Flights Diverted, Passengers Left Stranded

"Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights at Delhi Airport are impacted. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates," airport operator DIAL said in a post on X.

Travel Advisory

Airlines including Air India and SpiceJet have issued travel advisories warning passengers about delays and possible diversions.

Air India stated, "Poor weather, caused by heavy thunderstorms and gusty winds, has affected flight operations across parts of Northern India. Some of our flights to and from Delhi are being delayed or diverted, which is likely to impact our overall flight schedule. We are closely monitoring the situation and are doing our best to minimise the disruption."

SpiceJet also informed passengers via a weather update, saying, "Due to bad weather (thunderstorm/rain) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to check their flight status via spicejet.com/#status."

Passengers travelling with Air India have been advised to check the latest status of their flights on airindia.com before heading to the airport.

Dust Storm Disrupts Flights in Delhi-NCR, IMD Issues Red Alert

IndiGo has reported that flight operations in Delhi-NCR and Jaipur are being impacted due to a dust storm, affecting takeoffs and landings and possibly causing air traffic congestion. This could result in delays or flight diversions, the airport operator warned in a post.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi and surrounding areas, cautioning residents about severe weather conditions expected over the next few hours.

Second Dust Storm Hits Delhi-NCR This Week

Delhi and its neighbouring cities — Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram — are witnessing a dust storm for the second time in a week. Gusty winds have led to power outages in some parts of the region, although no major damage has been reported so far.