Amidst winter fog creating chaos for flyers with numerous delays and cancellations, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has set forth a plan to quell the fog’s impact on flights. With an intent to alleviate passenger inconvenience, the minister announced fresh standard operating procedures (SOPs) across all airlines. The measures are a response to the severe disruptions at airports, particularly at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where passengers faced a cold winter morning filled with uncertainty surrounding their travel plans.
Scindia laid out a six-point strategy which included thrice-daily incident reporting from the six major metro airports and the establishment of War Rooms at these airports to tackle passenger issues more effectively. The directive also mandates round-the-clock availability of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel. Notably, Delhi Airport’s Runway 29L has achieved CAT III status, enabling operations even under dense fog, and there are plans to make Runway 10/28 CAT III operational following re-carpeting. These actions arrive on the heels of over 100 flight services being affected by the heavy fog in Delhi which saw visibility drop to near zero.
In previous posts made on undisclosed platforms, the minister highlighted the ongoing efforts to mitigate the fog’s immediate effects and stated the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would issue an SOP for better communication and assistance to passengers facing cancellations and delays. This initiative is part of broader efforts to address the fog chaos that has encompassed the capital region. Scindia also addressed the incident of a passenger, Sahil Kataria, assaulting an IndiGo pilot due to flight delays, deeming such unruly behavior unacceptable and liable for legal action. IndiGo further revealed that Kataria has been declared ‘unruly’ and may face inclusion on the ‘no-fly list’, pending an internal panel’s decision. As the winter fog continues to pose challenges, the newly instated rules and infrastructure upgrades are aimed at providing passengers with a safer and more reliable travel experience during adverse weather conditions.