Severe foggy conditions at Chennai airport on Tuesday morning led to widespread disruptions in flight operations, resulting in over 40 flight delays and multiple diversions. Poor visibility forced several aircraft to circle above the airport while waiting for landing clearance, while some flights were redirected to alternate airports. Departures were also significantly impacted, with delays of up to five hours.
International and domestic flights were affected, with flights from London, Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and multiple IndiGo flights from other destinations, including Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Coimbatore, being re-routed to Bengaluru. Two IndiGo flights from Hyderabad and Pune were diverted to Thiruvananthapuram, and another flight from Hyderabad and Pune landed in Tirupati. An Air India flight from Bengaluru was unable to land in Chennai and had to return to its origin.
The dense fog also caused delays for departures, with flights to Delhi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Vijayawada, Port Blair, London, Singapore, and Dubai being affected. Flights were eventually allowed to depart once weather conditions improved, but the delays caused significant inconvenience to passengers.
According to Flightradar24, Chennai airport ranked as the second most disrupted airport in the world between 6 AM and 8 AM IST, with an average departure delay of 92 minutes during this period. Air India and IndiGo issued travel advisories warning passengers about possible delays due to dense fog and advising them to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Airport officials acknowledged the widespread delays and diversions, citing safety as the top priority. With visibility being a critical factor in flight safety, authorities had no choice but to delay and divert operations. Passengers are advised to stay updated on flight schedules, especially during foggy conditions, to avoid last-minute inconvenience.