Delhi IGI Airport Cancels 177 Flights Amid Severe Fog and AQI Crisis

December 20, 2025 at 07:00 AM•2 min read

Severe weather and toxic air quality forced Delhi's IGI Airport to cancel 177 flights and delay over 700 others.

Key Points

1177 flights were canceled at Delhi's IGI Airport, comprising 88 outgoing and 89 arriving services, due to extreme weather and pollution.
2Over 700 flights faced major delays, with wait times for outgoing services reaching nearly 50 minutes as operational disruption mounted.
3The Indian Meteorological Department issued an Orange Alert after dense fog reduced visibility to just 50 meters, triggering Low Visibility Procedures (LVP).
4Delhi's Air Quality Index entered the 'severe' category, breaching the 400 mark, exacerbated by an inversion trap and a historic December rain deficit.

Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi faced massive operational upheaval following the convergence of dense fog and critically severe air quality (AQI) levels. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an Orange Alert on Saturday, December 20, as the city prepared for the worst weather conditions of the year, with the AQI breaching the 400 mark and entering the ‘severe’ category.

The resulting low visibility triggered widespread aviation bedlam. Visibility dropped to zero meters at the Safdarjung station and only 50 meters at the Palam station, necessitating the activation of Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) across the airport. In total, 177 flights were canceled yesterday alone, split between 88 outgoing and 89 arriving services. Furthermore, over 700 flights experienced significant delays, with wait times for departing aircraft touching 49 minutes. Airlines such as IndiGo and Air-India Express have warned passengers of potential further schedule changes.

Environmental factors are exacerbating the crisis. Delhi’s average AQI registered 403 on Saturday morning, driven by stagnant wind speeds and the dangerous ‘inversion trap,’ where plummeting temperatures (7°C to 9°C) cap pollutants near the ground. This combination, coupled with a historic rain deficit in December, contributes to what experts predict will be the dirtiest December in eight years, ensuring air quality levels are expected to remain critical through the weekend.