Dense fog disrupts flight operations at Chennai airport; 4 flights diverted, many others delayed

CHENNAI: Flight operations at Chennai airport were disrupted on Sunday morning as foggy conditions reduced runway visibility.

Three international flights and one domestic flight scheduled to arrive in Chennai were diverted to Trichy, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore after visibility dropped to 150 metres. A thick blanket of fog covered the airport and surrounding areas.


An IndiGo flight from Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to arrive at 7 am, was diverted to Bengaluru, while an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur, due at 7.26 am, was diverted to Trichy. An Emirates flight from Dubai was diverted to Bengaluru.

Among domestic flights, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai due at 6.35 am was diverted to Bengaluru, and another IndiGo flight from Pune scheduled for 7.10 am was diverted to Coimbatore. An Air India Express flight due at 7.15 am returned to Bengaluru after take-off following reports of poor visibility. Another IndiGo flight from Hyderabad was diverted to Tirupati.

Apart from diversions, arrivals and departures of several international and domestic flights were delayed, as many flights had to circle due to reduced runway availability. Departing flights operated under low-visibility procedures.

Chennai airport officials said visibility started reducing from 3.30 am, dropping from 1,500 metres at 5.30 am to 150 metres by 7.30 am. Low-visibility procedures were initiated at 6.30 am when visibility fell below 600 metres.

The IMD attributed the fog formation to a combination of high humidity, light to calm winds, and low night-time temperatures.