Severe winter conditions across large parts of northern and western India severely impacted air travel on Sunday, leading to widespread flight cancellations and prolonged delays at several key airports, including Srinagar, Delhi and Ahmedabad.
Operations at Srinagar International Airport were among the worst affected, as snowfall in higher reaches combined with rain in the plains significantly reduced visibility. As a result, more than ten scheduled flights were cancelled during the day, while several inbound services were either diverted or held back due to unfavourable flying conditions. Aircraft already on ground remained stranded for hours awaiting weather clearance.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country’s busiest aviation hub, also witnessed major disruption as dense winter fog enveloped the region. Low visibility procedures were enforced for extended periods, leading to the cancellation of over a hundred flights and delays affecting several hundred more. Passengers faced long waiting times as airlines adjusted schedules and issued advisories urging travellers to reconfirm flight status before heading to the airport.
India’s leading domestic carriers reported extensive network impact, with dozens of flights cancelled across multiple hubs as fog and cold weather conditions continued to hamper safe aircraft movement. Airports in southern cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad also felt secondary effects due to aircraft and crew displacement.
In western India, services at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport were similarly disrupted. Dense fog and adverse weather conditions caused delays to more than fifty flights, while a few services were cancelled outright, particularly on routes linked to northern India.
Aviation officials attributed the disruption to persistent fog, low cloud cover and an ongoing cold wave affecting several states — a recurring winter challenge for India’s aviation sector. With weather forecasts indicating continued cold and foggy conditions in the days ahead, passengers have been advised to remain alert to schedule changes, allow additional travel time and stay in close contact with airlines for updates.
