A winter storm swept across the National Capital Region on 27 January, bringing squalls that triggered a red-alert from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and forced airlines to delay or divert dozens of flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).
1. Operational impact
• Between 12:00 and 16:00 IST more than 90 departures were delayed and eight inbound flights diverted to Jaipur and Lucknow.
• Akasa Air, IndiGo and SpiceJet activated social-media and SMS advisories urging passengers to allow extra travel time and to monitor flight-status pages.
• Runway 28/10 was closed intermittently for low-visibility procedures; CAT-III-equipped Runway 29L remained operational but at reduced capacity.
2. Traveller guidance
Corporate travel managers should advise employees transiting DEL to build in at least a four-hour buffer for connections this week, as residual delays cascade through the network. Flexi-fare tickets and same-day change options can mitigate disruption.
![Delhi airport operations hit by severe storm; airlines issue real-time travel advisories]()
For travellers who suddenly need to adjust itineraries—whether rerouting through third countries or extending their stay in India—VisaHQ can rapidly secure or amend visas online, keeping both individual passengers and corporate mobility teams compliant with immigration rules. Details are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/
3. Broader context
Weather-related disruptions are a perennial mobility risk in North India’s winter season, but 2026 has seen an uptick: IMD data show five red-alert events so far, versus two in the same period last year. Airlines have begun integrating IMD API feeds into their passenger apps to push hyper-local alerts.
4. Practical take-away
HR and mobility teams moving expatriates or short-term assignees through Delhi should validate hotel “walk” agreements and ensure that travel insurance covers weather-induced delays, which some basic policies exclude.
1. Operational impact
• Between 12:00 and 16:00 IST more than 90 departures were delayed and eight inbound flights diverted to Jaipur and Lucknow.
• Akasa Air, IndiGo and SpiceJet activated social-media and SMS advisories urging passengers to allow extra travel time and to monitor flight-status pages.
• Runway 28/10 was closed intermittently for low-visibility procedures; CAT-III-equipped Runway 29L remained operational but at reduced capacity.
2. Traveller guidance
Corporate travel managers should advise employees transiting DEL to build in at least a four-hour buffer for connections this week, as residual delays cascade through the network. Flexi-fare tickets and same-day change options can mitigate disruption.
For travellers who suddenly need to adjust itineraries—whether rerouting through third countries or extending their stay in India—VisaHQ can rapidly secure or amend visas online, keeping both individual passengers and corporate mobility teams compliant with immigration rules. Details are available at https://www.visahq.com/india/
3. Broader context
Weather-related disruptions are a perennial mobility risk in North India’s winter season, but 2026 has seen an uptick: IMD data show five red-alert events so far, versus two in the same period last year. Airlines have begun integrating IMD API feeds into their passenger apps to push hyper-local alerts.
4. Practical take-away
HR and mobility teams moving expatriates or short-term assignees through Delhi should validate hotel “walk” agreements and ensure that travel insurance covers weather-induced delays, which some basic policies exclude.
