Fog and Smog Disrupt Air Travel as Flights Cancelled in Delhi and Chennai
Dense smog cancels flights across northern India.
Persistent and severe low visibility conditions, driven by a thick veil of dense fog enveloping the national capital, led to the outright cancellation of ten flights at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on the morning of December 18, 2025, severely hampering scheduled departures and arrivals amid ongoing winter weather challenges.
At Chennai International Airport, operations faced parallel disruptions throughout the day, resulting in the cancellation of eleven flights—comprising four outbound services and seven inbound connections—as cascading effects from the adverse meteorological conditions and poor visibility prevailing in Delhi and multiple northern states rippled southward, affecting inter-regional connectivity.
Airport authorities confirmed that numerous aircraft originally bound for Delhi were compelled to divert to alternative destinations due to unsafe landing conditions, a development that intensified the operational strain and contributed to widespread schedule alterations on routes linking Chennai with key northern hubs including Jaipur, Kolkata, Patna, Pune, Indore, and other significant cities.
Also Read: 4 Dead in Massive 20-Car Pile-Up on Mumbai-Delhi Expressway Due to Fog
These extensive cancellations inflicted substantial inconvenience upon thousands of passengers, many of whom encountered abrupt itinerary changes, prolonged waits, or forced rebookings, highlighting the broader vulnerabilities in India's aviation network during the peak fog season that routinely impacts northern airspace.
Although Delhi recorded a modest amelioration in atmospheric conditions, with the Air Quality Index registering 328 and remaining firmly within the 'very poor' classification on Wednesday morning—down from higher levels the prior day—vast sections of the metropolis continued to be shrouded in hazardous smog, perpetuating disruptions to both air travel and ground transportation while underscoring the persistent environmental and climatic pressures on critical infrastructure.
Also Read: Dense Fog Leads to Major Pile-Up on Greater Noida Expressway – Many Injured
