Dense fog severely disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday, leading to large-scale cancellations, diversions and delays.

At least 118 flights were cancelled, 16 flights diverted, and around 130 services delayed, according to officials. Of the cancelled flights, 60 were arrivals and 58 departures. The airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), handles approximately 1,300 flights daily.

Data from flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the average departure delay was around 28 minutes on Tuesday morning.

In a post on X, DIAL said flight operations were continuing but cautioned passengers about possible disruptions due to aircraft capability.

“All flight operations continue as normal and flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected,” DIAL said.

CAT III compliance allows aircraft to operate safely in extremely low visibility conditions.

Civil aviation ministry issues passenger facilitation directions

Against the backdrop of fog and low visibility, the civil aviation ministry said airlines have been instructed to strictly comply with passenger facilitation norms.

These include “timely flight information, meals for delayed passengers, rebooking or refunds in case of cancellations, no denial of boarding after timely check-in, baggage facilitation and prompt grievance redressal”, the ministry said.

AAI issues advisory for northern airports

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an advisory warning of possible delays at select airports across northern India due to reduced visibility.

“Due to prevailing fog conditions today, 30 December 2025, visibility levels across Northern India have reduced at select airports. This may impact flight operations, including possible delays. Passengers are advised to stay in close contact with their respective airlines through official communication channels for the latest flight updates. Travellers should also plan their journeys accordingly by allowing additional time for airport arrival and check-in procedures,” AAI said in a post on X.

The statutory body added that assistance teams have been deployed at affected airports to support passengers.

Airlines caution passengers

IndiGo, in a travel advisory issued late Monday night, warned passengers of possible disruptions at major airports across north India.

“Early-morning fog is expected to affect visibility across Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu, Kolkata, Ranchi, Guwahati and Hindon (Airport). During these hours, visibility can reduce suddenly, impacting flight operations. Our teams will remain fully prepared through the night, monitoring the weather minute by minute,” the airline said in a post on X.

Fog-related disruptions were also reported on Monday, when 128 flights were cancelled at Delhi airport and over 200 flights delayed before noon.

Airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, have advised passengers to closely monitor flight status as fog conditions persist across the region.

IMD records sharp drop in visibility

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), fog conditions remained dense across the capital through the morning hours.

Visibility at Safdarjung stood at 100 metres at 7.30 am, improving to 200 metres by 8.30 am. At Palam, moderate fog was observed, with visibility around 300 metres at 8.30 am.

By 9.30 am, visibility at IGI Airport was recorded at 350 metres, indicating persistent dense fog conditions. The IMD had issued a ‘yellow’ alert for the city earlier in the morning and later an ‘orange’ alert, forecasting very dense fog during the day.

The fog also impacted train services, compounding travel disruptions across Delhi for a second consecutive day.

Air quality improves marginally but remains ‘very poor’

While fog blanketed the city, Delhi’s air quality showed a marginal improvement. The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 388 on Tuesday morning, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, compared to 401 (‘severe’) on Monday.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app showed 16 monitoring stations in the ‘severe’ category, while 21 stations recorded ‘very poor’ air quality. Jahangirpuri and Anand Vihar reported the worst air quality, with AQI levels touching 451.

According to CPCB classification, an AQI between 401 and 500 is considered ‘severe’.

The Air Quality Early Warning System forecast that Delhi’s air quality is likely to remain ‘very poor’ on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a possible deterioration to the ‘severe’ category on January 1, 2026.

Temperature, humidity and rainfall update

The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning, while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity levels are likely to remain close to 100 per cent.

At Palam, the minimum temperature dipped to 8.1 degrees Celsius, followed by 8.6 degrees Celsius at the Ridge, 9.2 degrees Celsius at Lodhi Road, 9.4 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, and 9.6 degrees Celsius at Ayanagar.

The IMD said no rainfall was recorded at any station over the past 24 hours.