Meals, refunds, baggage help: Over 100 flights hit as dense fog blankets Delhi; govt issues advisory | India News

NEW DELHI: The ministry of civil aviation on Tuesday instructed airlines to comply with passenger facilitation norms amid the prevailing fog and low-visibility, impacting flight operations across north India.The ministry also urged passengers to check flight status and allow extra travel time.“Amid prevailing fog and low-visibility conditions impacting flights in parts of Northern India, passengers are advised to proactively check flight status, remain in contact with their airlines and allow extra travel time,” ministry said.“Airlines have been instructed to strictly comply with passenger facilitation norms, including timely flight information, meals for delayed passengers, rebooking or refunds in case of cancellations, no denial of boarding after timely check-in, baggage facilitation and prompt grievance redressal. The ministry of civil aviation remains committed to passenger safety, convenience and well-being, and continues to closely monitor the situation,” it added.118 flights cancelled, 16 divertedThis comes after 118 flights were cancelled, , 16 flights diverted and 130 services delayed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday due to low visibility.An official said 60 arrivals and 58 departures were cancelled while 16 flights were diverted at the airport.In a post on X in the morning, Delhi International Airport Ltd said all flight operations continue as normal and flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected.CAT III compliance allows pilots to operate flights in low visibility conditions.On Monday, the statutory body also announced the deployment of assistance teams at affected airports to provide support to travellers on the ground.“AAI has activated passenger facilitation measures and deployed assistance teams at affected airports to support travellers on the ground. We remain committed to ensuring passenger safety, convenience, and smooth airport operations during adverse weather conditions. Customer Support Numbers – Airlines- IndiGo: 0124 497 3838, Air India: 011 6932 9333, SpiceJet: +91 (0)124 498 3410 / +91 (0)124 710 1600, Air India Express: +91 124 443 5600 / +91 124 693 5600, Akasa Air: 9606112131, Alliance Air: 044 3511 3511, IndiaOne Air: 6358881040, Star Air: 022 5079 9555 / 9970555111, Fly91: 8668919191,” it wrote on social media post.Airlines issue advisoryAir India said that it is closely monitoring the situation and has taken “proactive steps to minimise disruptions.” It said that the Air India’s ground staff will be available at key key touchpoints in the airports to extend assistance in case of delays diversion or cancellations.“We are closely monitoring the situation and have taken proactive steps to minimise disruptions (learn more at In the event of unexpected delays, diversions or cancellations resulting from fog, please rest assured that our ground teams are available at key touchpoints in the airports to extend assistance to you. We understand how frustrating such disruption to travel plans can be and are making every possible effort to minimise the inconvenience,” it said in a social media post on X.“In addition, our ‘FogCare’ initiative allows passengers booked on certain flights that are likely to be affected during the fog window to receive advance alerts on their registered phone numbers, with the option to reschedule their flights without any additional payment or seek a full refund on their bookings without penalty,” it added.Dense fog shrouds DelhiDense fog blanketed Delhi early Tuesday, causing visibility to drop sharply in several areas, even as the air quality improved marginally.The Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 388 on Tuesday morning, marking a marginal improvement from Monday, when the city’s air quality stood at the ‘severe’ category with a reading of 401.Data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app on Tuesday showed 16 air quality monitoring stations in the ‘severe’ category, while 21 stations recorded air quality in the ‘very poor’ category.The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates that air quality is likely to stay in the ‘very poor’ range.The minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning, with the IMD issuing an ‘orange’ alert and forecasting very dense fog during the day.