New Delhi woke up on December 30, 2025 to an impenetrable blanket of fog that crippled operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s busiest aviation hub. From the pre-dawn hours until nearly noon, runway visibility repeatedly fell below 200 m—and at times to just 50 m—forcing airlines to cancel 118 movements (60 arrivals and 58 departures) and divert at least 16 aircraft to Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. More than 200 other flights were delayed, triggering a knock-on effect across India’s entire domestic network as aircraft, crews and connecting passengers found themselves out of position.
Although IGIA is equipped with CAT-III ILS on three runways, the system is usable only for airlines and pilots holding the highest low-visibility ratings. Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) warned that non-CAT-III-compliant flights would continue to face disruption through the northern-India winter. Meanwhile the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an advisory asking travellers to “stay in touch with airlines and plan extra time,” anticipating repeat fog events through the first week of January.
Amid such unpredictable conditions, securing travel documents in advance can remove one major variable from the journey. VisaHQ’s India service (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines visa applications, passport renewals and e-tourist authorizations entirely online, offering doorstep courier pickup and real-time tracking so passengers can devote their energy to rebooking flights and adjusting itineraries when weather throws plans off course.
![Dense fog paralyses Delhi’s IGI Airport: 118 flights cancelled, 200+ delayed]()
IndiGo, Air India and Vistara pushed out real-time alerts on X and WhatsApp groups, offering no-cost date changes and urging customers to complete web check-in to minimise terminal congestion. Freight forwarders reported delays of up to 18 hours for high-value pharma exports as cargo aircraft queued for departure slots. Business-traveller itineraries to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad were shredded, with meetings rescheduled at short notice and hotels scrambling to re-accommodate stranded guests.
IGIA handles about 1,300 flight movements and 190,000 passengers daily; every hour of closure removes roughly 5% of national seat capacity. Travel-management companies (TMCs) told clients to favour early-afternoon departures, flagging that Delhi’s longest fog spells historically occur between 02:00 and 09:00. Corporate mobility managers were reminded to verify whether employees are booked on CAT-III-ready carriers; some low-cost operators still lease aircraft lacking the requisite avionics.
Practical tip: until mid-January, executives transiting Delhi should build at least a six-hour buffer for onward connections, book flexible hotel rates, and consider rail or road alternatives for regional hops under 300 km.
Although IGIA is equipped with CAT-III ILS on three runways, the system is usable only for airlines and pilots holding the highest low-visibility ratings. Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) warned that non-CAT-III-compliant flights would continue to face disruption through the northern-India winter. Meanwhile the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued an advisory asking travellers to “stay in touch with airlines and plan extra time,” anticipating repeat fog events through the first week of January.
Amid such unpredictable conditions, securing travel documents in advance can remove one major variable from the journey. VisaHQ’s India service (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines visa applications, passport renewals and e-tourist authorizations entirely online, offering doorstep courier pickup and real-time tracking so passengers can devote their energy to rebooking flights and adjusting itineraries when weather throws plans off course.
IndiGo, Air India and Vistara pushed out real-time alerts on X and WhatsApp groups, offering no-cost date changes and urging customers to complete web check-in to minimise terminal congestion. Freight forwarders reported delays of up to 18 hours for high-value pharma exports as cargo aircraft queued for departure slots. Business-traveller itineraries to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad were shredded, with meetings rescheduled at short notice and hotels scrambling to re-accommodate stranded guests.
IGIA handles about 1,300 flight movements and 190,000 passengers daily; every hour of closure removes roughly 5% of national seat capacity. Travel-management companies (TMCs) told clients to favour early-afternoon departures, flagging that Delhi’s longest fog spells historically occur between 02:00 and 09:00. Corporate mobility managers were reminded to verify whether employees are booked on CAT-III-ready carriers; some low-cost operators still lease aircraft lacking the requisite avionics.
Practical tip: until mid-January, executives transiting Delhi should build at least a six-hour buffer for onward connections, book flexible hotel rates, and consider rail or road alternatives for regional hops under 300 km.
