NEW DELHI: Thick smog engulfed the Indian capital on Friday, prompting warnings of possible flight disruptions from airport and airline officials, as worsening air quality cut visibility to zero in some areas.
Delhi, which has been battling smog and poor air quality since the beginning of winter, ranked third among the world’s most polluted capitals in Friday’s live rankings by Swiss group IQAir.
No diversion or cancelation has been reported yet, an airport spokesperson said, although authorities warned in a post on X that aircraft lacking equipment to enable landings in low visibility could face difficulties.
On social media, India’s largest airline IndiGo and low-cost carrier Spicejet also cautioned against weather delays.
Delays averaged eight minutes for 20 flights by 10:14 a.m., aviation website FlightRadar24 said.
Some train services in the capital were also delayed, media said.
New Delhi’s air quality was rated “very poor” on Friday, with an index score of 351, the country’s top pollution control body said, well beyond the levels from zero to 50 that it considers “good.”
Dense smog shrouds Indian capital, threatening to disrupt flights
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Dense smog shrouds Indian capital, threatening to disrupt flights
- Delhi ranked third among the world’s most polluted capitals in Friday’s live rankings by Swiss group IQAir
- On social media, India’s largest airline IndiGo and low-cost carrier Spicejet caution against weather delays
India fines IndiGo record $2.45 million over mass flight cancellations
- India’s largest airline scrapped about 4,500 flights in the first weeks of December
- India’s largest airline scrapped about 4,500 flights in the first weeks of December
NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator on Saturday fined IndiGo a record $2.45 million, issued warnings to senior executives and directed the airline to remove the head of its operations control from his duties after mass flight cancelations last month.
India’s largest airline scrapped about 4,500 flights in the first weeks of December, stranding tens of thousands of passengers nationwide and highlighting concerns over limited competition in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.
The airline has acknowledged that poor pilot roster planning was the main cause of the disruption. A probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found several deficiencies at the airline after stricter pilot rest and duty rules came into effect last year, the regulator said in a statement.
IndiGo, which holds 65 percent of India’s domestic market, failed to properly identify planning gaps or maintain adequate operational buffers, the DGCA said, adding that the airline had an “overriding focus” on maximizing the use of crew, aircraft, and network resources.
“(IndiGo’s) approach compromised roster integrity and adversely impacted operational resilience,” the DGCA said.
A government source said that the fine was the largest imposed by the authority to date, though it amounted to just 0.31 percent of IndiGo’s annual profit for fiscal 2024/25.
IndiGo said in a statement that its board and management were “committed to taking full cognizance of the orders and will, in a thoughtful and timely manner, take appropriate measures.”
The DGCA issued warnings to several senior executives, including Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras and Jason Herter, senior vice president of the operations control center. It directed IndiGo to relieve Herter of his operational duties.
CEO Pieter Elbers received a “caution” for “inadequate overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management,” the regulator said.
IndiGo was also ordered to provide a bank guarantee of $5.51 million in favor of the DGCA to ensure “compliance with the directives and long-term systemic correction.”
The DGCA said the aviation ministry had also ordered an internal inquiry into the regulator’s own functioning. The cancelations prompted the government to temporarily relax some rules on night duties for pilots to help stabilize IndiGo’s operations, a move criticized by pilot unions and safety advocates. India’s competition regulator is reviewing allegations of antitrust violations by the two-decade-old airline.
