Dense Fog Halts Departures, Delays Flights at Amritsar Airport

December 19, 2025 at 03:53 AM•1 min read

Dense fog caused significant disruption at Amritsar Airport (ATQ), leading to the cancellation of a Malaysia Airlines flight and widespread delays.

Key Points

1Dense fog severely disrupted operations at Amritsar Airport (ATQ) late Thursday, causing widespread delays for international and domestic services.
2A Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur was canceled, alongside significant rescheduling affecting Qatar Airways and other international carriers.
3Inbound flights successfully used the CAT-III B Instrument Landing System (ILS), but the system's limitation prevented any aircraft from departing.
4Passengers were strongly advised to verify flight status on official airline channels due to ongoing uncertainty and ground delays.

Dense fog severely impacted air traffic operations at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (ATQ) in Amritsar late Thursday night, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations for both domestic and international services. Visibility dropped sharply after 9 p.m., preventing numerous departing flights, including those bound for Malaysia and Qatar, from taking off. A Malaysia Airlines service to Kuala Lumpur was officially canceled, while Qatar Airways and several other carriers experienced significant rescheduling.

While inbound aircraft successfully utilized the advanced CAT-III B Instrument Landing System (ILS) to safely execute landings under the low-visibility conditions, airport experts noted that the system does not facilitate low-visibility takeoffs. This technical limitation led to prolonged ground delays for all scheduled departures, compounding the disruption during the late-night and early-morning hours.

Airport authorities and the FlyAmritsar Initiative advised all passengers to confirm the status of their flights via official airline websites or tracking platforms before proceeding to the airport, anticipating that normal operations would resume only once meteorological visibility significantly improves.