By The Sampadak Express
Severe thunderstorms and heavy early-morning rain wreaked havoc in the national capital on Friday, leading to widespread disruption of flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). Over 500 flights were delayed, and three were diverted, as the region faced intense weather conditions, including gusty winds and waterlogging.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi experienced its second-highest 24-hour rainfall for May since 1901. The downpour, accompanied by strong winds, not only disrupted air traffic but also caused a tragic house collapse in the city, claiming the lives of a woman and her three children.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com reported that more than 500 flights faced delays, while two flights were rerouted to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad due to poor visibility and safety concerns.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages IGIA, confirmed disruptions on social media platform X throughout the day. At 5:20 AM, DIAL alerted travelers to flight impacts due to “inclement weather.” While the storm subsided by 7:25 AM, DIAL noted continued effects on operations and advised passengers to use the Delhi Metro amid reports of road blockages near the airport.“
The airport is fully operational, though some flight operations may be affected due to the weather conditions,” DIAL posted at 8:55 PM.
Major airlines including IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet also reported delays and diversions. IndiGo cited air traffic congestion resulting from the storm, while Air India warned of disruptions to its northern India routes. SpiceJet acknowledged “massive ATC congestion,” stating that both departures and arrivals were being impacted.
IGIA, India’s busiest airport, typically handles around 1,300 flight movements daily.
