Delhi pollution: 11 flights diverted, many delayed as dense fog hits air traffic

NEW DELHI: At least 11 flights were diverted and many were delayed at the Delhi airport on Monday morning as bad weather conditions in the national capital resulted in poor visibility impacting aircraft operations, according to an official.
Out of the 11 flights, 10 were diverted to Jaipur and 1 to Dehradun, the official said and added that some of the pilots were not trained for CAT III operations due to which flights had to be diverted.
Broadly, CAT III trained pilots are allowed to take off or land planes at very low visibility conditions.
"Low visibility procedures are in progress at Delhi airport. All flight operations are at present normal," Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X early morning on Monday.
DIAL operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.
It also advised passengers to contact the airlines concerned for updated flight information.
The national capital is grappling with high pollution levels that has also resulted in lower visibility levels in various parts of the city. The air quality level plunged to 'severe plus' levels.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 11 am was 487 in the national capital.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 4 in Delhi NCR from today, after the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached to 'severe plus' category.