Chaos Following Delhi Dust Storm: 205 Flights Affected, Departures One Hour Late

New Delhi:

Mayhem broke out at the Delhi Airport as flight delays caused by gusty winds and dust storms affected hundreds of passengers yesterday. At least 205 flights were delayed, and at least 50 flights were diverted from their intended destination, sources added.

The average delay in departure is of an hour, they added.

“Following the dust storm, several flights were diverted and cancelled, and this resulted in inconvenience for passengers awaiting their flights at Delhi airport. The diverted flight was delayed reaching Delhi, and this resulted in rush at the airport,” an official informed news agency ANI.

Whereas airlines like Air India and IndiGo made announcements on X, agitated passengers recounted their experience.

“We had a connecting flight from Srinagar to Delhi to Mumbai at 4 pm. Our flight was to land in Delhi at 6 pm but was diverted to Chandigarh because of a dust storm. It was then flown back to Delhi at 11 pm,” a passenger on the Air India flight.

“We were subsequently requested to board another plane in Delhi for Mumbai at 12 am. We spent approximately 4 hours sitting in the plane and then were requested to deboard and undergo the security screening again. It’s 8 am, and we are still at the airport. The flight has not yet departed,” said the passenger stranded at the airport.

A 75-year-old wheelchair-using woman on the same flight informed, “We are stranded for more than 12 hours. We were not able to land in Delhi because of the storm. But we have been waiting at the Delhi airport since 11 pm.”

Stranded passengers at the Delhi airport.

Some air travelers vented their ire on X.

Sharing a photo of the stranded passengers, a user commented: “Most mismanaged, misinformed world class international airport, New Delhi. Worse than bus stand”.

“Indigo flight from Delhi to Kolkata got rescheduled 6times in the evening. @IndiGo6E are you treating the passengers like anything?? People are already 6hrs late for this,” a user commented.

Another commented, “A Delhi flight hasn’t left yet. You have got them on board in time and got them to sit for two hours. Disgusting. Also according to rule you are required to offer refreshments if flight is delayed for over two hours.”

“Stranded in Delhi Airport for over 14 hours. #AirIndia you have zero accountability and commitment towards yu our passenger. You don’t deserve to be in this space,” another passenger tweeted.

Air India in its advisory mentioned that some of its flights from and to Delhi were either delayed or diverted because of the thunderstorm.

In a response to passengers, the airlines said that the “airport team is trying their best to ensure a speedy resolution”. “We request your patience and understanding,” it said.

IndiGo and SpiceJet also said that some of their flights may be impacted due to the weather.

“While the weather at Delhi has stabilized, airside congestion still affects flights to/from Delhi. We recommend you check your flight status regularly for the best information. Our ground handling team is still working hard to help you and make your wait as pleasant as possible. We truly appreciate your ongoing patience and cooperation while we try to get you to your destination efficiently,” IndiGo said.

Delhi airport also sent out an advisory to the passengers about flight delays.

“Due to adverse weather conditions in Delhi, some of the flights operating at Delhi airport are affected. Passengers are requested to get in touch with their respective airlines for the latest flight information. We regret the inconvenience caused,” it added.

Dust storm in Delhi

A powerful dust storm hit Delhi and surrounding areas on Friday night, a day after a dust storm and light rain pounded some regions of the national capital. The storm inflicted vast destruction in certain regions of the capital with trees’ branches landing on roads, cars.

Delhi-NCR power supply was also impacted after leaves and other items of trees fell on the electricity wires. The places impacted included regions of Narela, Bawana, Badli and Mangolpuri, as per news agency ANI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has put an ‘orange’ alert in Delhi for lightning and thunderstorms throughout the day.