A thick winter fog blanketed Delhi and much of North India on 24 December, slashing runway visibility at Indira Gandhi International Airport to just 50 metres between 07:30 and 08:30. The low-visibility procedures triggered cascading delays: 550 commercial flights were held and 10 were cancelled across Delhi and other northern airports, according to FlightRadar24 data quoted by the Times of India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns that shallow-to-moderate fog will persist through 28 December, with a yellow alert for very dense fog on 26 December. Airlines have activated ‘fog contingency’ rosters, repositioning CAT-III-capable aircraft and crew, yet average delays still exceeded 30 minutes, disrupting onward connections to Europe, the Gulf and Southeast Asia at the height of holiday travel.
For multinationals, the operational impact is immediate: missed client meetings, cargo backlogs for time-sensitive pharma shipments and overtime costs as ground handlers juggle revised gates. HR teams are advising travellers to build six-hour buffers into itineraries, use airline apps for real-time rebooking and carry proof of ‘duty of care’ compliance in case overnight accommodation is needed.
![Dense Fog Grounds Northern India: 550 Flights Delayed, Business Travel Hit]()
Amid these disruptions, companies are also discovering that last-minute visa hurdles can magnify travel headaches. VisaHQ’s online platform streamlines the Indian visa process—with digital applications, courier pick-up and real-time status tracking—so travellers can adjust fog-affected itineraries without paperwork delays. Corporate accounts and personalised support are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/.
India’s civil-aviation authorities have long faced criticism for slow rollout of CAT-III navigation aids at Tier-2 airports. The latest disruption renews calls to accelerate installation of Runway Visual Range (RVR) equipment under the UDAN 4.0 modernisation plan, which could mitigate future fog-season chaos.
The IMD forecasts partial relief over the weekend as a western disturbance brings light rain to the western Himalayas, potentially improving visibility in the plains. Until then, corporate travel managers are urging employees to opt for early-afternoon departures when fog risk is lower.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warns that shallow-to-moderate fog will persist through 28 December, with a yellow alert for very dense fog on 26 December. Airlines have activated ‘fog contingency’ rosters, repositioning CAT-III-capable aircraft and crew, yet average delays still exceeded 30 minutes, disrupting onward connections to Europe, the Gulf and Southeast Asia at the height of holiday travel.
For multinationals, the operational impact is immediate: missed client meetings, cargo backlogs for time-sensitive pharma shipments and overtime costs as ground handlers juggle revised gates. HR teams are advising travellers to build six-hour buffers into itineraries, use airline apps for real-time rebooking and carry proof of ‘duty of care’ compliance in case overnight accommodation is needed.
Amid these disruptions, companies are also discovering that last-minute visa hurdles can magnify travel headaches. VisaHQ’s online platform streamlines the Indian visa process—with digital applications, courier pick-up and real-time status tracking—so travellers can adjust fog-affected itineraries without paperwork delays. Corporate accounts and personalised support are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/.
India’s civil-aviation authorities have long faced criticism for slow rollout of CAT-III navigation aids at Tier-2 airports. The latest disruption renews calls to accelerate installation of Runway Visual Range (RVR) equipment under the UDAN 4.0 modernisation plan, which could mitigate future fog-season chaos.
The IMD forecasts partial relief over the weekend as a western disturbance brings light rain to the western Himalayas, potentially improving visibility in the plains. Until then, corporate travel managers are urging employees to opt for early-afternoon departures when fog risk is lower.
