May 21, 2025 09:54 PM IST
At least 10 flights were diverted to nearby airports, and over 50 flights delayed between 7:45pm and 8:45pm, officials aware of the matter said
NEW DELHI: An intense dust storm, followed by intense showers and hail hit the capital on Wednesday evening, impacting flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI).
At least 10 flights were diverted to nearby airports, and over 50 flights delayed between 7:45pm and 8:45pm, officials aware of the matter said.
“At least 10 flights were diverted, mainly to Jaipur. One flight was also diverted to Mumbai,” said an airport official.
The flights were impacted due to wind shear — strong winds blowing in the opposing direction and rain, officials said. Both take-offs and landings are impacted in such a scenario.
IMD officials said a peak wind speed of 74 km/hr was reported at around 8 pm. Palam also recorded a sharp drop in temperature — from 37°C at 7:30 pm to 23°C at 8:30 pm.
On the same day, a Delhi to Srinagar flight was also caught in turbulence, leading to an emergency landing at the Srinagar airport at around 6:30 pm. Visuals of a damaged nose of the aircraft, which had over 220 people on-board, also surfaced online.
In a post on X, Air India issued a travel advisory asking passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow extra time for the journey.
Indigo said heavy rains and thunderstorms in Delhi, Chandigarh and Kolkata was impacting flights and asked passengers to check their flight status before heading for the airport.
