As the winter season approaches, dense fog and poor air quality become common in Delhi-NCR. Its biggest impact is seen at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport). Sometimes the situation becomes such that only a few meters in front can be seen. If visibility falls below 50 to 100 meters, flight operations are directly affected.

In such a situation, passengers have to face problems like flight delay, cancellation or diversion to some other city. Therefore, if you are planning to travel by flight in winter, then it becomes very important to check the latest status of your flight before leaving for the airport. In such a situation, let us know how to check the live status of your flight if it is getting delayed due to fog.

What effect does low visibility have on flights?
When visibility becomes very low at Delhi Airport due to fog, Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) are implemented. Under this, more gap is kept between landing and take-off of planes. The speed of air traffic is slowed down for security reasons. Delay in flights becomes common. If the situation worsens, flights may also be cancelled. Many flights have to be diverted to other airports, meaning passengers may have to wait at the airport for hours.
Delhi Airport and DGCA warning

While issuing advisory for the passengers, Delhi Airport Authority has clearly said that they should not come to the airport without confirming the status of their flight. DGCA has declared 10 December 2025 to 10 February 2026 as the official fog window this year. During this period, due to fog in North India, flight operations may be continuously affected. General visibility in Delhi was recorded only around 50 meters. Vehicles were plying on the roads with hazard lights on and many flights had to be diverted.

How to check live flight status in fog?

1. Check status from the official website of Delhi Airport – Live Flight Information option is available on the official website of IGI Airport. Here you can see the arrival and departure time, whether the flight is late or not, cancellation or diversion information in real time.

2. Use the airline’s website or mobile app – All big airlines like Air India, IndiGo provide the facility to check flight status on their website and mobile app. You can get instant information by entering flight number or PNR.

3. Keep notifications and SMS alerts on – If you do not want to visit the website again and again, then turn on notifications in the airline app. You will continue to get every important information like flight delay, gate change, cancellation through SMS or email.

4. Get information from social media and customer care – Airlines issue real-time updates and advisories on their X and Instagram accounts. Apart from this, you can also know the flight status by calling the customer care helpline of the airline.

How to check Indigo flight status online?

If you are traveling by Indigo, then goindigo.com Go to the website, click on Trips option above, select Flight Status tab, enter flight number or PNR. Select departure, arrival and travel date. Click on Search Flight. Now the live status of your flight will be visible on the screen.

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Airlines in the US canceled more than 1,000 flights on Friday (December 26), despite the big festival of Christmas, as severe storm warnings and heavy snowfall were forecast in many parts of the country. There is a possibility of snowfall of up to 10 inches overnight in the country’s largest city New York and due to this the temperature is likely to fall below zero.

worst condition in new york
According to the Flight Aware website, at least 1,191 flights were canceled and 3,974 flights were delayed as of 1:00 pm on Friday. The worst impact was seen at the three major airports of New York, LaGuardia, JFK and Newark, where the maximum number of flights were cancelled. Apart from this, passengers are also facing a lot of problems at the airports of Boston and Detroit. The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting snowfall in the upper Great Lakes region and the center of the storm is moving northeast.

According to the report of news agency AFP, a warning has been issued for travelers returning from holidays in America regarding the dangerous condition of the roads. New York Mayor Eric Adams said winter storm warnings had been issued and city crews had been deployed to clear snow from roads.

Travelers advised to remain alert
American airlines companies advised passengers to remain alert on social media platform X. Airlines say that passengers must check the status before coming to the airport to catch the flight. NWS has given a clear warning that the situation has become extremely dangerous from the Great Lakes to New England.

Apart from New York, America’s largest city, Chicago’s airports were at the top on Flight Aware’s Misery Map, which shows the situation of flight delays and cancellations. According to the website, about 785 flights have been canceled at New York area airports following the warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS).

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Thousands of passengers faced problems due to cancellation of Indigo flights on 6 December. Meanwhile, the Aviation Ministry directed IndiGo to complete the process of refund of tickets for canceled flights by the evening. That means you will get your ticket money back by 7th December.

Refund will be available till the night of 7th December
The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked IndiGo to complete the ticket refund process for passengers affected by the disruption in flights by 8 pm on Sunday night. Also said that the airline should ensure that all the luggage separated from the passengers due to flight cancellation is delivered within the next 48 hours.

IndiGo was also directed to set up special assistance and refund facility centers for passengers. The automatic refund process will continue until operations are completely stabilized.

Additionally, the ministry said airlines should ensure that passengers’ lost luggage due to flight cancellations or delays is traced and delivered to them within the next 48 hours.

Aviation Ministry gave information to PM Modi
The Aviation Ministry has informed PM Modi in the Indigo case. In fact, continuous meetings are being held by the ministry for the last two days. The government is preparing to impose heavy fine on the airline.

There was a mess due to the new rules of the government
The new pilot duty rules (FDTL Phase-2) of the Central Government came into force and IndiGo was not at all prepared for it. The Pilot Union filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in January 2024. In this, the issue of flight safety was raised due to excessive working hours and fatigue of pilots. After the order of the High Court, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made changes in the Flight Duty Time Limitation i.e. FDTL rules. These rules were to be implemented in two parts.

On July 1, 2025, Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules were implemented to give rest to the pilots. Under this, it was made mandatory for airline companies to give pilots 48 hours of rest instead of 36 hours a week, i.e. two days weekly rest. During this period, there was a ban on counting any holiday as weekly rest. The objective was very good that the less tired the pilot is, the safer the flight will be. But these rules reduced the availability of pilots by 15-20%.

In the second phase of FDTL, from November 1, DGCA had also banned continuous night shifts of pilots and other crew members.

• Earlier, rest was available for 36 hours in a week, now 48 hours is mandatory. This means each pilot can fly about one day less in a week.
• Night duty was earlier considered to be from 12 noon to 5 am, now till 6 am. That means one more hour more.
• A pilot can do only 2 night landings in a week, earlier there was a relaxation of up to 6.
• Night duty cannot be done for more than two consecutive nights.
• The most dangerous rule was that if the flight went on for even 1 minute after 12 o’clock in the night, then the entire duty was considered as night duty and the pilot would not be able to fly 1-2 flights in the morning the next day.

This meant only one thing: a pilot is no longer able to fly as many flights as he could before.

More than 400 flights canceled today
On December 5, more than 1,000 flights of the country’s largest airline Indigo were canceled and the same situation remained on December 6. On Saturday, more than 400 flights were canceled at the airports of many cities including the four major airports of the country, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. The ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in the refund process will take immediate regulatory action. More than 2,000 flights have been canceled in the last 4 days. On average 500 flights are getting delayed every day.

The central government has come on the backfoot on Friday after the country’s largest airline company Indigo canceled more than 1700 flights in the last 4 days. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given temporary relief to airlines, especially IndiGo, till 10 February 2026. The decision of not giving any leave in lieu of weekly rest was withdrawn.

Indigo flights are being badly affected for the last several days. Today i.e. 5th December was the worst day, when more than 1000 flights were cancelled. More than half the schedules are being affected every day. From tomorrow (6th December) the cancellations will come down to less than 1000. That means getting exemption in FDTL from DGCA is helping in recovery. Indigo says that it will take time till December 15 for flight operations to become normal.

Government formed high level committee
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said that the government has also ordered a high-level inquiry into this entire incident, so that the cause of this crisis and responsibility can be fixed. He said that Indigo flights will become completely normal in the next three days.

IndiGo CEO Peter Albers said, ‘We apologize to everyone for the cancellation and delay of IndiGo flights. The entire system is rebooting. It will take time for the situation to become normal. The situation will become normal from 10 to 15 December. There have been more problems in the last few days. Today more than 1 thousand flights have been cancelled.

Flight ticket prices increased 10 times
In search of alternative flights, passengers have to buy tickets at up to 10 times the normal price. According to booking site MakeMyTrip, the cheapest flight fare from Delhi to Bangalore on December 6 is more than Rs 40,000, while the fare of some flights is up to Rs 80,000.

In fact, Indigo is facing shortage of crew members for the fourth consecutive day on Friday. Due to this, more than 1000 flights were canceled at many airports including Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad. Passengers have been waiting for the flight for 24 hours. At Delhi airport, passengers were seen arguing and fighting with the staff and security personnel over water, food and essential items.

Indigo claims- problems due to government rules
Indigo claims that due to this rule there was a shortage of pilots and other staff and the entire operation was affected. It will take time to fix it. DGCA had implemented the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) from November 1, rules related to the work of pilots and other crew members. The first phase came into effect on 1 July.

In the rules of the second phase of FDTL, it was made mandatory for the airline companies to give 48 hours of rest in a week to the pilots, i.e. two days weekly rest. During this period, there was a ban on counting any holiday as weekly rest. DGCA had also banned continuous night shifts of pilots and other crew members.

India’s largest airline IndiGo, which flies more than 1 crore passengers every month, is going through its worst phase for the last 10-12 days. In the beginning of December suddenly 400-600 flights started getting canceled every day. There was uproar at big airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Indore. People stood in queues for hours, ticket prices doubled and tripled and anger erupted on social media. The question in everyone’s mind is what is happening with Indigo?

Government has taken 7 major actions so far in Indigo case

1. On 4 December 2025, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu held a major review meeting. This included senior management of MoCA, DGCA, AAI and Indigo. The minister said that passenger facilities should be taken full care of and the situation should be brought back to normal immediately.
2. Understanding the operational problems of IndiGo, DGCA gave a one-time relaxation, which will provide flexibility in some FDTL rules till 10 February 2026. DGCA will review this exemption every 15 days and will take continuous improvement reports from IndiGo. Especially on crew shortage and hiring.
3. DGCA has appealed to all pilot associations to extend full support to IndiGo in view of the huge demand during winter vacation and wedding season.
4. DGCA gave further relief to IndiGo by allowing pilots who were currently engaged in training or other work to be sent for flying duty. Currently, 12 FOIs (DGCA officers who are themselves on deputation from IndiGo) have also been allowed to fly for a week.
5. 12 licensed FOIs of IndiGo, who have less seniority, have been relieved from flying duty by DGCA. So that they can help in the investigation and inspection of DGCA.
6. DGCA has also deployed its team in IndiGo’s control center, which is monitoring the flights in real time. Especially on delays, cancellations and passenger convenience.
7. DGCA has formed a four-member inquiry committee, which will find out why such a major operational lapse took place in IndiGo. The committee will also decide who had what responsibility and how effective the measures for further improvement are.

There was a mess due to the new rules of the government
The new pilot duty rules (FDTL Phase-2) of the Central Government came into force and IndiGo was not at all prepared for it. The Pilot Union filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in January 2024. In this, the issue of flight safety was raised due to excessive working hours and fatigue of pilots. After the order of the High Court, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made changes in the Flight Duty Time Limitation i.e. FDTL rules. These rules were to be implemented in two parts.

On July 1, 2025, Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules were implemented to give rest to the pilots. Under this, it was made mandatory for airline companies to give pilots 48 hours of rest instead of 36 hours a week, i.e. two days weekly rest. During this period, there was a ban on counting any holiday as weekly rest. The objective was very good that the less tired the pilot is, the safer the flight will be. But these rules reduced the availability of pilots by 15-20%.

In the second phase of FDTL, from November 1, DGCA had also banned continuous night shifts of pilots and other crew members.

• Earlier, rest was available for 36 hours in a week, now 48 hours is mandatory. This means each pilot can fly about one day less in a week.
• Night duty was earlier considered to be from 12 noon to 5 am, now till 6 am. That means one more hour more.
• A pilot can do only 2 night landings in a week, earlier there was a relaxation of up to 6.
• Night duty cannot be done for more than two consecutive nights.
• The most dangerous rule was that if the flight went on for even 1 minute after 12 o’clock in the night, then the entire duty was considered as night duty and the pilot would not be able to fly 1-2 flights in the morning the next day.

This meant only one thing: a pilot is no longer able to fly as many flights as he could before.

1700 flights canceled in last 4 days
In the DGCA meeting, IndiGo itself admitted that it had miscalculated the actual need of pilots. Made a mistake in assuming that crew availability will reduce after the implementation of the new rules. There were delays and shortcomings in making the roster and preparations for Phase-2 were incomplete. After the introduction of new rules, Indigo could not overcome the shortage of pilots and other staff and in the last 4 days Indigo canceled more than 1700 flights.

Maximum 225 flights have been canceled in Delhi. 32 flights were canceled in Pune. 197 flights were canceled at Hyderabad Airport in 3 days, while 155 flights were canceled at Shamshabad Airport. Bengaluru: 102 flights have been cancelled.

The new rules have the biggest impact on Indigo.

The entire business model of IndiGo is based on more flights, lower prices and faster turnout. More than 70% of its flights operate at night or till late night. There are frequent flights on short routes. When the new rules came, there was a sudden shortage of pilots.

The biggest mistake was that despite getting 18-20 months time, IndiGo did not increase the number of pilots as per the new rules. Rest of the airlines like Air India, Vistara and Akasa Air had already recruited pilots. Indigo could not manage this change.

As a result, hundreds of flights were canceled every day from the last week of November to the first week of December. Thousands of passengers remained stranded at the airport hungry and thirsty for 24 hours. Flight fares have skyrocketed. The company’s shares fell by 10-12% in the stock market.

The government found a middle solution
DGCA had to bow down due to severe problems of passengers and fear of collapse of the entire aviation system. Giving immediate relief on 5 December 2025, it was announced that now if the flight leaves even a little after 12 midnight, it will not be considered as full night duty. This means that the pilot will be able to fly the morning flight the next day comfortably. The decision of not giving any leave in lieu of weekly rest was withdrawn. The Civil Aviation Minister has directed all the airlines to give full refund in case of flight cancellation. Also, the stranded people have been asked to make proper arrangements to stay in hotels.

But this exemption was not given for free. DGCA has kept strict vigil on Indigo-

• Every 15 days, a complete report will have to be given as to how many pilots were increased and how the roster was corrected.
• Within 30 days, a complete roadmap will have to be given as to how the new rules will be followed 100% by 10 February 2026.
• There will not be even an inch of relaxation in all other safety related rules.

Then what will happen next?
Indigo has apologized and said that most of the flights will become normal by 10-15 December and everything will be completely fine by January. The company is now rapidly hiring pilots and changing the rostering system. But this whole matter has given a big lesson that aviation in India is growing so fast that only one company has more than 60% of the market. If it falters, the entire aviation system falters. Now the government and other airlines have also understood that thousands of new pilots and hundreds of new aircraft are needed in the next 5 years, otherwise such crises will occur again and again.

Cancellation of Indigo Airlines flights for the fourth consecutive day at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Telangana broke the patience of passengers. More than 197 flights have been canceled since the crisis started on December 2. This included 31 flights on 3 December, 68 flights on 4 December and 92 flights on 5 December. Technical glitches, crew shortage, absence of pilots and airport congestion brought the entire network to a standstill. DGCA has started investigation, but passengers are not being given complete information nor are there any other options.

Passengers stranded at airport hungry and thirsty for 24 hours
Thousands of passengers from many states and countries are stranded at the airport for more than 24 hours. A 70-year-old couple returning from Mumbai to Hyderabad was kept at the gate for 14 hours, neither did they get food nor a place to stay. A passenger said, ‘Our luggage had been checked-in, but due to cancellation of flights, we remained stuck here. Now waiting for the goods for 16 hours.

A group going to Pune had to take alternative routes by cab and train, while a businessman arriving in London complained that he was supposed to reach home on the morning of December 5, but was stuck at the airport for 24 hours, hungry and thirsty. Many passengers reached the airport directly from the hospital, but their plans were ruined due to flight cancellation.

Devotees were delayed in reaching the temple, did not get darshan
The biggest problem is being faced by the devotees who were going for darshan in many cities. More than 50 devotees, who arrived on time for the annual festival of Sabarimala temple, had come from several states in South India. A devotee said, ‘The time to visit the temple has passed. Due to the delay of Indigo Airlines, questions are being raised on faith. Devotees have been protesting at the gate for the last 12 hours, but there is no result.

Passengers and staff clash at the airport
Passengers waiting for several hours clashed with the airport staff, due to which security forces had to be deployed. In a video, passengers were raising slogans of ‘Give food, give hotel’. Indigo issued a statement citing glitches in operations, but did not give any specific time. RGIA tweeted on X and advised to contact the airlines, but the ground staff has no response.

155 flights canceled at Shamshabad airport
This is the situation not only at Hyderabad Airport but also at Shamshabad Airport. 155 flights have been canceled from Shamshabad airport in the last 4 days. According to airport sources, so far 84 departure and 71 arrival flights have been cancelled. Indigo Airlines has canceled the maximum number of flights. The airport administration has appealed for cooperation, but it is becoming difficult to control the angry passengers.

Flight Traveling Tips: Lakhs of people travel by flight every day in the country. But the flight journey is as easy as it looks. Equal precautions have to be taken for that. Rules have been made for everything from booking tickets to sitting on a flight seat. Many times people commit some mistakes unknowingly and have to suffer the consequences later. Many people do not know how to live inside a flight.

The result is that the mood starts deteriorating even before the journey starts. But the thing is that it is not difficult to avoid these problems. If you understand some important things before the journey, then the entire flight passes smoothly. Let us tell you what things you need to keep in mind.

Ticketing and check-in errors

While booking tickets, even a small mistake in name, date of birth and ID details can become a big problem in the future. Many people find out only after reaching the airport that their web check-in has not been done or they have missed their seat allotment. From here the hustle and bustle increases and time also passes. Make sure to check the ticket, PNR and web check-in status one day before the journey. This saves last minute hassles.

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Correct rules for hand baggage and check-in luggage

Many passengers take the weight and size rules lightly and have to pay extra money as soon as they reach the airport. Airlines set separate limits for each bag. Therefore, pack your bag after checking the website before travelling. The quantity of liquid in hand baggage is fixed. So keep it in small packs.

What to keep in mind during security check?

Most of the time in the security lane is spent by those passengers who do not put their laptop, charger, belt or jacket in the tray on time. Due to this the line gets stopped and they themselves also get troubled. As soon as you step into the airport, keep your phone, wallet, electronic items and laptop in such a way that you can remove them all at once. Empty the water bottle beforehand.

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Important points just before boarding

Many people take the boarding call lightly and leave at that time to eat, charge their mobile or go to the washroom. This leads to a rush at the last minute or sometimes the gate even gets closed. Keep yourself alert about your flight’s gate number and boarding time. Gates change frequently at the airport, so keep an eye on the screen.

How to keep yourself prepared during the flight?

The temperature in the flight is sometimes cold and sometimes normal, so keep a light jacket with you. It is important to keep drinking water during a long journey otherwise the body feels tired. Wear your seat belt during takeoff and landing and pay attention to the crew’s instructions. If you suffer from motion sickness, a window seat is better. A little preparation makes the journey very comfortable.

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Due to the eruption of Hayli Gubbi volcano in Afar, Ethiopia on Sunday (23 November), the cloud of ash has spread eastwards and reached the Arabian Sea and India, which is directly affecting Indian flights. Due to this many flights have had to be cancelled.

‘We are in constant contact with the operating crew’
Air India posted on Twitter saying that we are monitoring this situation very closely and are in constant touch with our operating crew. We are making every effort to make alternative travel arrangements as soon as possible. It was told in the post that the safety of passengers, crew and aircraft is our top priority. Our ground teams will continue to provide assistance and updates to passengers on the network.

Indigo has also assured the passengers that after the volcanic eruption, there are reports of ash clouds moving towards western India. We understand that this news may cause concern, but your safety is our top priority. Our teams are monitoring the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies. We will continue to provide updates to minimize any inconvenience.

Airlines on alert
Akasa Air has canceled flights to Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi on 24 and 25 November. Dutch Airlines has canceled its Amsterdam-Delhi (KL 871) and Delhi-Amsterdam (KL 872) flights. Indigo has assured the passengers that safety is the top priority and the situation is being constantly monitored.

DGCA has issued an advisory to airlines and airports to deal with the problems caused by the ash cloud emanating from volcanic activity in Ethiopia. Akasa Air, IndiGo and KLM are among the airlines that have canceled some flights due to the ash cloud.

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There was panic in the aviation sector after a bomb threat was received on an international flight coming from Bahrain to Hyderabad. According to information given by officials, Gulf Air flight number GF 274, which was flying from Bahrain to Shamshabad Airport (Rajiv Gandhi International Airport) in Hyderabad, was diverted towards Mumbai due to security reasons.

Early Tuesday morning officials received information that there was a bomb on the plane. As soon as the threatening call was received, security agencies and Air Traffic Control (ATC) immediately swung into action. As a precaution, the pilot was instructed to land at the nearby Mumbai airport instead of Hyderabad. The plane made a safe landing at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 4:20 am.

Security Checks and Protocols
Immediately after landing, the aircraft was taken to an isolated bay of the airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the bomb disposal squad surrounded the plane and launched a massive search operation. All passengers and crew members were brought down safely. According to Telugu media reports, a thorough investigation was conducted inside the plane and in the luggage hold. As per security protocol, passengers’ luggage was also re-screened.

Alert at Hyderabad Airport
The impact of this incident was also seen at Shamshabad Airport in Hyderabad. As soon as the news of the flight being diverted was received, high alert was declared at the airport. An atmosphere of anxiety and panic was seen among the people waiting for their families there and among other passengers also.

Till the latest information was received, investigation by the security agencies was going on and efforts were being made to ascertain whether the threat was just a rumor or there was some reality in it. A detailed official statement is still awaited from Gulf Air or civil aviation authorities. The administration is taking full caution while giving top priority to the safety of passengers.

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