Dense fog hits air traffic, 6 flights cancelled, several delayed

A thick blanket of fog enveloped the city last night and continued till Thursday morning, throwing daily life out of gear. The dense fog caused widespread disruptions to road, rail and air traffic, leaving commuters stranded. Several trains arrived late and departed with significant delay, causing inconvenience to passengers. Similarly, the air passengers faced inconvenience as six flights were cancelled and several delayed due to low visibility at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport during the last 24 hours.

Last night, the Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to arrive at 10.15 pm, was diverted to New Delhi. The return flight scheduled to depart at 11.15 pm was cancelled. The Air India flight from Delhi, scheduled to arrive at 10.15 pm, was cancelled and its return flight to Delhi, scheduled for departure at 11.15 pm, was also cancelled.

In the morning today, the Air India flight scheduled to arrive at 6.10 am and an Indigo flight from Mumbai, scheduled to arrive at 6.45 am, were cancelled due to low visibility. The Air India Express flight from Sharjah, scheduled to arrive at 7 am, landed at 11.17 am, after a delay of four hours. The Turkish Corendon Airlines from Dubai, which was scheduled to arrive at 7.40 am, arrived four hours late. A Qatar Airways flight for Doha was scheduled for departure at 4.10 am but left for its destination at 11.05 am. Another Air India flight for Delhi, scheduled to depart at 6.50 am, had to be cancelled. The visibility improved only around 8.30 am and flight operations were restored to normal at Amritsar airport.

The fog also forced many residents to stay indoors, preferring to avoid the hazardous travel conditions.

However, while residents could stay safe at home, traders, particularly street vendors, faced a difficult time. The fog severely impacted their business, as customers stayed away due to the inclement weather.

“The city’s economy took a hit as the fog disrupted the normal flow of commerce. Vendors, who rely on daily sales to make a living, were left struggling to make ends meet. As fog continues to grip the city, the traders will be facing a tough time and are hoping that days would return to normal soon,” said Shiv Kumar, a fruit seller at Lawrence Road.