Northern India’s notorious winter fog reached a new peak on 17 January, paralysing Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh. Eighteen flights were cancelled outright, 48 delayed—many by more than six hours—and one diverted to Jaipur. Services to key hubs such as Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai were among those hit, stranding business travellers and breaking onward connections.
Rail operations fared little better: two Vande Bharat express trains and the Kalka Shatabdi arrived over an hour late, while long-distance services from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were delayed up to three hours. Logistics firms reported knock-on effects as high-value cargo missed belly-hold slots and had to be trucked to Delhi.
![Dense Fog Grounds 67 Flights in Chandigarh, Ripples Across Corporate Travel Itineraries]()
For travellers who suddenly need to reroute through alternative airports or extend their stay, ensuring that visas and permits remain valid can add to the stress. VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers expedited extensions and multi-entry options online, letting stranded passengers update travel documents in hours rather than days, while also advising corporates on compliance for last-minute itinerary changes.
For mobility managers, the episode is a reminder that weather, not geopolitics, is often the biggest disruptor of domestic relocation schedules. Companies with project crews rotating through the northern industrial corridor have been advised to build 24-hour buffers into itineraries until mid-February, when visibility historically improves. Airlines are waiving rebooking fees, but only for journeys commencing in fog-affected airports, leaving many travellers to absorb hotel costs.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is pressing carriers to accelerate rollout of Category III Instrument Landing Systems at tier-2 airports, but installation delays mean Chandigarh’s upgrade is still months away. Until then, travellers can expect more early-morning cancellations whenever the mercury dips.
Rail operations fared little better: two Vande Bharat express trains and the Kalka Shatabdi arrived over an hour late, while long-distance services from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were delayed up to three hours. Logistics firms reported knock-on effects as high-value cargo missed belly-hold slots and had to be trucked to Delhi.
For travellers who suddenly need to reroute through alternative airports or extend their stay, ensuring that visas and permits remain valid can add to the stress. VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers expedited extensions and multi-entry options online, letting stranded passengers update travel documents in hours rather than days, while also advising corporates on compliance for last-minute itinerary changes.
For mobility managers, the episode is a reminder that weather, not geopolitics, is often the biggest disruptor of domestic relocation schedules. Companies with project crews rotating through the northern industrial corridor have been advised to build 24-hour buffers into itineraries until mid-February, when visibility historically improves. Airlines are waiving rebooking fees, but only for journeys commencing in fog-affected airports, leaving many travellers to absorb hotel costs.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is pressing carriers to accelerate rollout of Category III Instrument Landing Systems at tier-2 airports, but installation delays mean Chandigarh’s upgrade is still months away. Until then, travellers can expect more early-morning cancellations whenever the mercury dips.
