Passengers flying in and out of Delhi on Monday faced long waits, as more than 200 flights were delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The delays were mainly due to a closed runway and strong easterly winds, with many flights running behind by around 30 minutes.
If you were flying through Delhi on 28 April, chances are your flight didn’t take off or land on time. Over 200 flights faced delays at IGI Airport, and no, there was not just one reason behind it.
The fourth runway, known as Runway 28/10, has been closed since 8 April for an upgrade to its Instrument Landing System. That alone has already stretched airport operations. On top of that, easterly winds have taken over Delhi skies, making it harder for air traffic control to manage the flow smoothly.
Only three runways in use, and that’s causing trouble
Let’s break it down simply. When easterly winds blow, flights can only take off from two specific runways (09 and 11L), and land on just one (11R). With Runway 28/10 out of action, the airport is working with only three runways instead of four. This has reduced flight handling capacity from 42 flights per hour to about 32. That’s a drop of 10 flights every hour — which adds up quickly.
According to airport officials, this change is causing around 240 flights each day to be delayed by a small margin. Thankfully, no flights had to be diverted to other airports, but many travellers still found themselves waiting longer than expected.
Weather and wind to stay unfavourable till 4 May
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that easterly winds are likely to continue over Delhi until 4 May. So yes, the situation might remain bumpy for a few more days.
The fourth runway is expected to reopen in the first week of May, but until then, flight schedules may continue to shift.
Advisory issued by airport
In a post on social media platform X, Delhi airport informed passengers that air traffic control (ATC) would be applying traffic flow restrictions between 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Monday. These are standard international procedures to ensure flight safety during such challenging conditions.
The airport also advised all passengers to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates on departure and arrival timings.
Not a one-off incident
This is not the first time passengers have faced such delays at IGI. On 20 April, nearly 900 flights were delayed due to operational issues and unfavourable weather. Earlier, on 12 April, a severe thunderstorm had disrupted almost 500 flights.
And it’s not just the weather. Since the runway closure began, Delhi has been managing around 200 fewer flights every day.
So, if you have got travel plans involving Delhi airport any time before 4 May, double-check with your airline. A little planning now could save you hours of waiting at the terminal.
