Flight Delays: The effect of winter has increased significantly across the country and along with it dense fog, severe cold and low visibility have also come. The Meteorological Department has warned that the same conditions are likely to persist for the next few days. Flights are being delayed, canceled and even rescheduled. Let us know where air travel has slowed down.

Delhi was most affected

Most problems are being seen at Indira Gandhi International Airport. On December 21, due to dense fog and low visibility, about 110 flights were canceled and more than 370 flights were delayed. Along with this, the same situation remained on 22 December also. More than 150 flights were late in the morning.

Impact outside the capital also

This problem was not limited to Delhi only. Flights to and from Amritsar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Srinagar and Chennai were also affected due to bad weather. Let us tell you that the effect of fog is more severe in the northern areas, whereas in the southern cities, there are delays due to delay in aircraft rotation and congestion at major hubs.

Flights stopped in Srinagar due to snowfall

Due to bad weather and snowfall at Srinagar Airport, many flights were canceled directly. Mountainous weather conditions and low visibility sometimes make operations unsafe. This is the reason why airlines have to temporarily suspend services.

Meanwhile, Indigo has also canceled flights on many routes. Airlines also issued a travel advisory urging passengers to check real-time flight status before going to the airport. Along with this, Air India has also started its seasonal fog care initiative. Under this policy, passengers affected by fog related problems can reschedule or cancel their flights without any extra fees.

advice for travelers

Passengers are being advised to check flight status before leaving home, reach the airport on time and also keep in mind road delays due to fog.

Also read: Railway fare increased for the second time in a year, know how much the ticket prices have increased in the last six months

Recognizing the problems faced by thousands of its passengers, Indigo has recently taken a big decision. The company has announced that passengers whose journeys were severely affected during the operational glitches in early December will be given a travel voucher of Rs 10,000. This voucher can be used in any travel booking for an entire year.

The airline admitted that on December 3, 4 and 5, many passengers had to wait for hours at the airport, with many missing their connecting flights and essential journeys. The company said that this was a difficult time for them and Indigo takes responsibility for the trouble caused to the passengers.

What will you get if your flight is canceled within 24 hours?

According to the current civil aviation rules of the government, if an airline’s flight is canceled within 24 hours of its scheduled time, then it is mandatory for that airline to compensate the passengers. According to this rule, passengers will get a separate compensation of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the flight distance and travel time. In this way some passengers can get a total benefit of up to Rs 20,000.

Refund process faster

Indigo said that most of the refunds of the passengers whose flights were canceled have been processed and the remaining cases will also be resolved soon. If the ticket has been booked through any travel agency, online platform or app, then its refund has also been issued or is in the process. Passengers who are unable to check the status of their refund can directly contact via email – customer.experience@goindigo.in

Why is a voucher of Rs 10,000 being given? Indigo’s statement

The airline admitted that due to operational irregularities, the experience of many passengers was very poor. Many people remained stranded at the airport overnight. Standing in queues for hours. His further journey also got spoiled. For this reason, IndiGo has decided to give a voucher worth Rs 10,000 to the most affected passengers, so that they can avail the benefit in their future journey. The company says that we are taking every possible step to make our services reliable and stable again. Passengers’ trust is of utmost importance and we appreciate their patience.

Also read: Debate in the House on Vande Mataram, JP Nadda said – ‘We do not want to defame Nehru… We have to give respect to the national anthem’

After massive delays and cancellations in IndiGo flights, the company has formed a crisis management team. The company’s parent company InterGlobe Aviation said that this team will keep an eye on the situation and try to normalize the situation.

Decision taken after board meeting
In a statement issued by InterGlobe Aviation, it was said that as soon as the problem of cancellation and delay of flights came to light, an immediate meeting of the Board of Directors was called. In this meeting, the management team informed the board members about the seriousness of the situation and the reasons.

Company formed Crisis Management Group
According to the statement, after the board meeting, it was decided to form a Crisis Management Group (CMG). This group includes Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta, Board Directors Greg Saretsky, Mike Whittaker, Amitabh Kant, and company CEO Peter Albers. This team is continuously monitoring the situation and taking updates from the management as to what steps are being taken to normalize the flights.

Steps to provide relief to customers
The company said that the board is taking immediate steps to mitigate the problems of all affected passengers. Passengers are being given refund on cancellation and relief in additional charges on change of date.

IndiGo Spokesperson says, “The Board of Directors of Interglobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) met on the first day the problem of cancellations and delayed flights arose. The members received a detailed briefing from the Management on the nature and extent of the crisis. This meeting… pic.twitter.com/C7jBPHicnF

— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

DGCA issued show-cause notice
Here, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers regarding the huge disruption in flights. DGCA said that in recent times, passengers have been troubled by huge delays and cancellations in IndiGo flights and this is the result of gross negligence in planning and resource management.

What is the main reason for the delay?
Since last one week, many IndiGo flights are getting delayed or cancelled. The main reason for this has been attributed to the new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) rules implemented by DGCA, ‘due to which there was a sudden shortage of pilots and crew’.

After the cancellation of flights of IndiGo and many other airlines across the country, lakhs of passengers suddenly flocked to the Railways. In view of the increasing crowd and huge demand for tickets, Indian Railways has taken immediate action. From December 6, 2025, Railways has implemented the decision to install additional coaches and run additional trips on many routes. Due to this, passengers have started getting huge relief.

The biggest impact of flight cancellations was seen in South India, where the Railways made special preparations to increase capacity. Southern Railway has installed new coaches in 18 trains. Additional seats were made available to passengers by increasing the number of sleeper and chair cars on many popular routes. Due to this, travel to cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram has started becoming smooth again.

Northern Railway reduces congestion on Delhi route

Due to the highest number of passengers traveling to and from Delhi, Northern Railway installed additional AC and chair cars in 8 main trains. This change has been implemented with immediate effect. Due to this, passengers of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are getting special relief.

Big initiative of Western Railway on Delhi-Mumbai route

Due to cancellation of flights, travel between Delhi and Mumbai had become very difficult. Keeping this in view, Western Railways has added 3AC and 2AC coaches in 4 major trains. After the implementation of the new system from December 6, thousands of passengers have started getting seats on this busy route.

Relief on Bihar-Delhi route too, ECR increased AC seats

East Central Railway has taken special steps for the passengers going from Patna to Delhi. Five additional trips are being run in Rajendra Nagar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express from 6 to 10 December. Along with this, the number of 2AC coaches in the train has also been increased, due to which the pressure on the seats on Patna-Delhi route has been reduced the most.

East Coast, Eastern and NFR also increased capacity

For passengers going from Odisha to Delhi, East Coast Railway has added 2AC coaches in trains number 20817, 20811 and 20823 in 5 trips. On the other hand, Eastern Railway has increased sleeper coaches in three main trains on 7th and 8th December. For North-East passengers, Northeast Frontier Railway has made a big increase in 3AC and sleeper seats with eight additional trips between December 6 and 13.

Railways also ran four special trains

To rescue stranded passengers and make long distance travel easier, Railways has run 4 special trains. These include Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Special, New Delhi–Mumbai Central Special, Vande Bharat Special for New Delhi–Srinagar region and Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Special. Many trains were one-way, whose purpose was only to provide relief to the passengers.

Why was this decision of Railways necessary?

After the cancellation of flights, the way the demand for tickets suddenly increased manifold, people in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Patna got worried. At such a time, this step of the Railways has proved to be very important, because the availability of thousands of additional seats provided a safe option to the passengers.

Also read: Tariff pressure will not help! Clear message to Trump from Modi-Putin meeting

Air inidia flight: On 20 June 2025, flight AI2470 from Air India to Delhi to Delhi was canceled. This decision was taken when the aircraft came to Pune from Delhi and came to light that it had a bird hit. Although the aircraft made a safe landing, it was ground due to security check.

Official statement of Air India
Air India issued a statement on the incident saying, “Flight AI2470, which was scheduled from Pune to Delhi on June 20, has been canceled due to bird hit. This bird hit the aircraft after being safely landed. Now the aircraft is being investigated intensely.” The airline regretted the inconvenience caused to the passengers and said that it was an unexpected incident.

Options and facilities for passengers
AI has given the option of full refund or free travel to all affected passengers. Also, alternative flights are also being arranged for passengers who have to go to Delhi immediately. Air India reiterated, “Security of our passengers and crew is our top priority. We are taking all possible steps for the convenience of passengers.”

No injury, all passengers safe
Thankfully, despite the bird hit, no passenger or crew member in the aircraft had suffered any injury and all the people landed safely in Pune. Explain that the incidence of bird hits occurs frequently, but it can be mechanically risky. For this reason, the aircraft is fully tested before the next flight.

Vigilance increased after Dreamliner accident
The incident took place when Air India is still recovering from the Ahmedabad -London Gatvik Dreamliner accident, in which 271 people lost their lives, in which 30 people were present on the ground. After this painful accident, DGCA ordered a comprehensive security check of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India.