On Wednesday, SpiceJet announced the cancellation of flight operations to and from six airports in northern India, following airport closures implemented amid heightened security in the wake of Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The budget airline carrier IndiGo on Wednesday cancelled its flight operations in 11 cities across north, northwestern and central India till May 10, following aviation authorities directives regarding airport closures in wake of the Indian Armed Forces' 'Operation Sindoor' in retaliation
Pakistan's decision to block India's airlines from using their airspace will have a limited impact on its southern and western flight operations but significantly affect northern routes, particularly from Delhi, according to Air Marshal (Retd) Sanjeev Kapoor.
After the closure of Pakistan airspace for Indian carriers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a set of advisory guidelines to airlines to ensure effective passenger handling.
According to airport sources, from Friday evening till Saturday morning, over 50 domestic flights operating from Indira Gandhi International Airport were delayed, around 25 flights were diverted, and seven were cancelled due to the dust storm.
As per the reading from the Ministry of Forests and Environment's Department of Environment Air Quality monitoring, the air quality of Bhaisipati is hazardous with US AQI reading 333 as of 2:30pm (Local Time).
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) had requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure that flights do not pass over the temple, citing Agama Shastra guidelines that prohibit such flights.
The Amravati Airport in Maharashtra gets the aerodrome license by from the civil aviation regulator, officially designating it as a licensed Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) airport.
The low visibility conditions made it challenging for pilots to take off and land safely, leading to delays and diversions of several flights throughout the day. Passengers were advised to check with their airlines for updates and schedules as the dense fog lingered into the morning hours
In an update shared at 7.30 PM, Delhi Airport officials said that the visibility at the airport had improved, allowing all flight operations to resume.