23 January,2025 10:36 PM IST | Mumbai | Prasun Choudhari
Representational Pic/File
Flights to and from Kolkata airport experienced significant disruptions on Thursday due to foggy weather, leaving passengers stranded for over two hours.
Similar weather-related issues were reported at Leh and Guwahati airports. By 4 pm, at least 28 flights to and from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog conditions at various airports across India.
Aviation industry officials confirmed that eight flights were affected on both the Kolkata-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kolkata sectors. Similarly, four flights each were delayed on the Mumbai-Guwahati and Guwahati-Mumbai sectors, while two flights each faced disruptions on the Mumbai-Leh and Leh-Mumbai sectors.
An Air Traffic Control (ATC) source said, "The average delay for departures at Kolkata Airport was approximately two hours due to the foggy conditions. Similar delays were observed at Guwahati and Leh airports."
ALSO READ
Mumbai weather updates: Deonar records poor air quality as haze engulfs city
Delhi weather update: IMD predicts light rainfall today
Mumbai-Darbhanga flights face disruptions due to adverse weather
Delhi's air quality continues to remain in poor category
Mumbai weather updates: Byculla and Deonar record poor air quality
Rishab Raj, one of the stranded passengers at Kolkata airport said, "What was the tearing hurry to pack people into a plane when it was so foggy at Kolkata airport and you didn't have permission to fly? We were stuck inside the aircraft for almost 2.5 hours. Horrible management."
Another passenger said, "This has become the new normal. Multiple flights delayed due to fog in winter or heavy rains in the rainy season is incredibly frustrating for us. I travel regularly for work, but these delays make it impossible to stick to a schedule. If you have a meeting, you need to plan for at least a four-hour buffer after the estimated landing time, as weather disruptions can completely derail your plans."
