Chaos at Delhi Airport as Dust Storms Delay 205 Flights

Photo: X/@lalarvi

Chaos broke out at Delhi Airport yesterday after strong dust storms and gusty winds caused delays for hundreds of passengers. At least 205 flights were delayed, and 50 flights were diverted to other destinations, according to sources.

The average delay for flights was about an hour, they said.

After the dust storm hit, many flights had to be redirected or canceled, which created problems for passengers waiting at the airport. Some flights that were diverted took longer to reach Delhi, adding to the crowd and confusion.

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An official shared that many passengers were stuck in the airport because of the flight changes. One passenger, who was flying with Air India from Srinagar to Mumbai, explained their frustrating experience: "Our flight was supposed to land in Delhi at 6 pm, but because of the storm, it was diverted to Chandigarh. We didn’t get back to Delhi until 11 pm." 

The passenger added, "After that, we were asked to board another flight to Mumbai at midnight. But we had to sit in the plane for about 4 hours before being told to get off and go through security again. It’s 8 am now, and we are still waiting. Our flight hasn't left yet."

Another passenger on the same flight was a 75-year-old woman in a wheelchair. She said, "We’ve been stuck here for more than 12 hours. We couldn’t land in Delhi because of the storm, but we’ve been waiting since 11 pm."

Passengers began expressing their frustration online. One person posted a picture of the crowded airport and wrote, "The most mismanaged, misinformed airport, New Delhi... It's worse than a bus station." Another passenger complained, "My flight from Kolkata to Delhi has been rescheduled six times! How can IndiGo treat passengers like this?"

One more wrote, "My flight from Delhi still hasn't left. We were asked to board on time, but then had to wait for two hours. This is terrible. The airline should give refreshments if a flight is delayed for more than two hours."

Another passenger criticized Air India, saying, "We’ve been stranded at Delhi Airport for over 14 hours. Air India has no accountability or care for passengers. They don’t deserve to be in this business."

Air India responded to the complaints, saying some of their flights were delayed or diverted due to the storm. The airline assured passengers that the airport staff was doing everything they could to resolve the issue quickly, and they asked for passengers' patience.

IndiGo and SpiceJet also warned their passengers that some flights might be affected by the weather conditions.

Although the weather in Delhi improved, there were still delays because of crowded airspace at the airport. IndiGo encouraged passengers to keep checking their flight status for updates. The airline also assured passengers that their ground team was working hard to make the wait as comfortable as possible.

Delhi Airport also issued an advisory, asking passengers to contact their airlines for the latest flight updates. They apologized for the inconvenience caused.

The storm not only caused problems at the airport but also affected other parts of Delhi. Trees fell on roads and cars, and power supply was disrupted in several areas. The weather affected places like Narela, Bawana, Badli, and Mangolpuri.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for thunderstorms and lightning in Delhi for the rest of the day, warning of more possible bad weather.