Over 350 flights delayed at Delhi airport due to congestion

NEW DELHI: More than 350 flights were delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Saturday as ongoing air traffic congestion disrupted operations for a second day, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Passengers took to social media to share images and videos of long queues and crowded terminals as delays mounted.

According to PTI, the disruptions began on Friday evening due to adverse weather conditions and have had a spill over effect on Saturday’s schedule.

“Flight operations at Delhi Airport are improving; however, a few flights are still impacted due to last night's weather conditions," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X at 2:07 PM.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com showed that over 350 flights had been delayed, with average departure delays exceeding 40 minutes.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, also confirmed the impact. “Ongoing air traffic congestion in Delhi is causing flights to be held for takeoff and landing clearance. Due to the consequential impact, a few flights across the network are impacted too,” the airline said on X at 1:32 PM.

Currently, only three runways are operational at IGIA, as one runway remains closed for scheduled maintenance, PTI added.