Srinagar, Dec 15: Almost two weeks into the IndiGo imbroglio caused by technical disruptions, the latest menace to adversely impact air traffic to Srinagar is a thick layer of fog that engulfed the Valley for most of the day on Monday.
Between December 3 and 12, as many as 103 flights of IndiGo got cancelled, owing to pilots not turning up due to roster issues. In the rest of the country as well, thousands of flights were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded.
On Monday, of the total 18 IndiGo flights scheduled for Srinagar, two were cancelled due to operational reasons. Besides, two flights of the low-cost carrier were cancelled due to poor visibility. In terms of the other airlines, there were 3 flights scheduled for Srinagar that got cancelled due to poor visibility.
As per the Airport data, these include two flights of Air India Express and one flight of Air India. The total number of delayed IndiGo flights due to poor visibility for the day was nine.
The total number of delayed flights for other airlines on Monday was ten, of which two flights were that of Air India, one of Akasa, 3 more delayed flights were operated by Air India Express and three flights by SpiceJet. The cancellation and delay of flights due to fog is being seen despite a recent assurance from the Airports Authority of India ( AAI) that an enhanced landing system had been put in place at the Srinagar Airport to avoid flight cancellations due to fog.
Notably, at the 14th General Meeting & Tourism Promotion Event of Tourist Trade Interest Guild in Srinagar last month, Javed Anjum, Director, Srinagar International Airport, told reporters that the runway at the airport has been upgraded to the Instrument Landing System Category-2 ( ILS-2), which essentially means that even in low visibility, a flight can make a landing. Anjum had said the upgradation of the runway was completed in 2024, the results of which were seen even during last winter, “when flights could land in visibility as low as 400 metres.”
Last Saturday, a dry run and preparedness exercise was conducted by the AAI, Srinagar International Airport, to assess and ensure operational readiness in view of the forthcoming winter and snow season, with special emphasis on fog and low-visibility contingencies.
Notably, amid the IndiGo flight fiasco, Greater Kashmir has learnt from highly-placed sources that Tata Son’s owned Air India had sought the nod from aviation regulator, Director General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) for operating more than 270 additional flights across the country for the rest of this month. “The airline has approached the DGCA for its approval for these additional flights and was awaiting its response,” sources added. This comes in the wake of the Union Aviation Ministry slashing down IndiGo’s flying slots by 10 per cent for “route balancing.”
Meanwhile, an IndiGo spokesperson in a statement said low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, “which is unfortunately beyond our control,” he added. “Our teams are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport, in line with established safety protocols. While operations adjust to the prevailing weather, some flights may experience delays while a few others may be proactively cancelled through the day to prioritise safety and help minimise extended waiting at the airport,” said the spokesperson. “We have issued advisories to our customers and are proactively informing them to minimise inconvenience. We request customers to also stay updated on their flight status via our website or mobile application, as there can be some consequential delays too. Our teams remain available to assist our customers at every step of the journey and ensure continued support,” the IndiGo Spokesperson added.