Dust Storm Disrupts Delhi Airport: Over 200 Flights Affected, Passengers Stranded
New Delhi: A powerful dust storm swept through the national capital on Friday evening, triggering widespread disruption at Delhi Airport. Hundreds of passengers faced hours-long delays after strong winds and poor visibility forced major flight schedule changes.
According to sources, 205 flights were delayed, while at least 50 others were diverted to alternate airports. The average delay stretched to about an hour, further straining airport operations.
An official quoted by news agency ANI noted that the storm led to significant disruption, causing multiple flight cancellations and diversions. “This created heavy congestion as diverted aircraft took longer to return, and passengers remained stuck at the terminals,” the official said.
Airlines like Air India and IndiGo released advisories on X, while many disgruntled passengers turned to social media to vent their frustration.
One Air India passenger, speaking to Media, shared their ordeal of a connecting flight from Srinagar to Mumbai via Delhi. The flight, originally set to land in Delhi at 6 PM, was diverted to Chandigarh and returned only by 11 PM. “We were later boarded for Mumbai at midnight, but after four hours in the aircraft, we were deboarded again. It’s now 8 AM, and we’re still at the airport,” the passenger said.
A 75-year-old woman on the same flight said she had been waiting at Delhi Airport since 11 PM, having already spent over 12 hours in transit due to the storm.
Social media posts highlighted the chaos, with users sharing images of overcrowded waiting areas. One user wrote: “Most mismanaged, misinformed world-class international airport… worse than a bus stand.”
Another frustrated flier said their IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Delhi was rescheduled six times. Passengers also criticized airlines for making them wait inside aircraft without timely refreshments, which violates aviation norms.
Air India confirmed that several flights were delayed or rerouted due to the severe weather and assured passengers that their ground teams were working to resolve issues. IndiGo echoed this, urging passengers to check live flight statuses and assuring continued ground support. SpiceJet also acknowledged potential weather-related delays.
The Delhi Airport Authority issued a public advisory warning of disruptions caused by adverse weather and advised travelers to stay in touch with their airlines.
The dust storm, which followed a similar event a day earlier, impacted several parts of Delhi-NCR. ANI reported incidents of fallen trees and power outages in areas such as Narela, Bawana, Badli, and Mangolpuri.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an ‘orange’ alert for Delhi, forecasting thunderstorms and lightning for the rest of the day.