- By Abhirupa Kundu
- Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:35 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Dellhiites woke to dense fog blanketing the national capital and adjoining areas as the minimum temperature fell to four degrees Celsius. The operation of around 120 flights including both domestic and international was affected due to the thick layer of fog which has given way to low visibility, the Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System (FIDS) said.
"A total of 53 flights including 21 Domestic arrivals, 16 Domestic departures, 13 International departures and 3 International arrivals scheduled are cancelled and not operating due to fog and other operational reasons from and to Delhi airport," the FIDS said.
"My flight is more than two hours late due to the bad weather. However, we cannot blame anyone. We cannot do anything about it," a passenger told ANI.
Passengers were seen waiting at the New Delhi Railway Station (NDRS) as several trains got delayed amid poor visibility due to the fog.
ALSO READ: Iran Attacks Two Terror Bases In Pakistan, Islamabad Says 'Unprovoked' Strikes Kill Two Children
"I am travelling to Kerala. My train, Kerala Express, is five hours late from the scheduled time," one traveller complained.
VIDEO | Train services affected in Delhi as dense fog continues in the region. pic.twitter.com/HKTKpENLe2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 17, 2024
Visuals from the railway station showed passengers covered in blanket and shawls waiting for their trains.
As per the MeT department, fog is considered to be 'shallow' when the visibility stands up to 500 metres. 'Moderate' fog occurs when the visibility remains up to 200 metres.
As the visibility is up to 50 metres, the fog is categorised as 'dense'. It is categorised as 'very dense' when the visibility reaches below 50 metres.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Monday, issued standard operating procedures for airlines in the event of delays and cancellations due to adverse weather conditions.
The SOPs were drawn up after carriers as well as the Delhi airport faced criticism on social media over flight delays and cancellations due to the prevailing weather conditions.
The SOPs mandate airlines to publish accurate real-time information regarding delays of their flights, which shall be published on the respective website of the airline or through advance information to affected passengers by SMS, WhatsApp and email.