By Fifteen flights were diverted from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday after heavy rain and thunderstorms disrupted operations through the day.
The disruption was caused by intense rainfall combined with winds reaching 30-40 km/h over the National Capital Region.
Of the diverted flights, 12 were sent to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow, as aircraft were unable to land safely in Delhi.
More than 280 flights were delayed and over 20 were cancelled through the day, with the airport typically handling over 1,300 daily flight movements.
IndiGo said it was closely monitoring the weather, while Air India warned passengers that adverse conditions could continue to impact flight operations to and from Delhi.
Departures were also affected, with stand availability, crew duty limits and aircraft positioning thrown off by the sudden disruption to the day’s schedule.
SpiceJet also issued a travel advisory urging passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport, as the disruption rippled through the day’s operations.
Diverted flights were expected to be repositioned back to Delhi once weather conditions improved, though airlines cautioned that knock-on delays could continue into the evening.
The disruption comes as much of north and central India continues to experience active monsoon conditions, with several regions under IMD rain alerts through the week.
Airport authorities said ground staff worked to accommodate affected passengers, though travellers on social media reported long waits and limited information during the worst of the disruption.
Delhi’s airport is one of the busiest in the country and handles a significant share of India’s domestic and international air traffic, meaning disruptions there tend to have knock-on effects across the wider network.
IMD forecasters said the thunderstorm activity was linked to an active monsoon system moving across north India, with similar conditions possible on subsequent days depending on how the system evolves.
Passengers travelling to and from Delhi in the coming days have been advised to build in extra time and monitor airline communications closely given the ongoing unsettled weather pattern.
Photo by Ravi Dwivedi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
