Widespread flight disruptions hit India’s aviation network on Monday after dense fog and poor visibility forced IndiGo to cancel more than 100 flights across key airports, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The weather-led chaos affected both arrivals and departures, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or scrambling for alternative travel plans at the start of the week.
IndiGo said a total of 109 flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, with northern India bearing the brunt of the disruption. Delhi, the country’s busiest airport, saw significant operational challenges as prolonged low visibility during the early morning hours slowed air traffic movement and triggered precautionary cancellations.
IndiGo advised passengers to closely monitor flight updates and to factor in additional travel time, warning that fog had also affected road traffic around airports.
The cancellations span a wide network of routes, many linked to Delhi, including flights to and from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Srinagar and several regional destinations. A full list of affected flights has been shared by the airline, covering services scheduled largely for December 15, with a few spillovers into December 16.
IndiGo said passengers impacted by the cancellations were being informed in advance through WhatsApp messages and email alerts.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) also issued a heavy fog alert for northern India, warning that dense fog in Delhi and surrounding regions had severely reduced visibility and disrupted flight schedules. “Before heading to the airport, please check the latest flight status with your airline and allow extra travel time,” the ministry advised passengers.
Adding to the travel woes, Delhi woke up to near-zero visibility as thick smog enveloped the capital. Air quality levels slipped deeper into the severe zone, with the Air Quality Index touching 500 at monitoring stations such as Rohini and Wazirpur. Even the lowest recorded AQI in the city, at 365, remained firmly in the “very poor” category.
With fog and pollution expected to persist, airlines have cautioned that further delays or cancellations cannot be ruled out, urging passengers to stay updated and plan their journeys with care.