Capital weather vagaries: Over 400 flights delayed, 49 diverted

Gusty winds of speeds over 80km/hr ripped through Delhi on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, bringing with them severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall— all of which created unfavourable conditions for flight operations, delaying over 400 flights through the day and leading to tens of diversions, officials aware of the developments said.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI:

Airport officials said the diversions were necessitated from 11.30pm on Saturday, and continued until around 4am on Sunday. The average delay time of each flight was 27 minutes, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

"A total of 49 flights, including 17 international flights, were diverted during this period," an airport official said, adding that delays continued beyond 4am, into the second half of the day as well, due to a cascading effect.

The flights were impacted due to wind shear—strong winds blowing in the opposing direction and rain, officials said. Both takeoffs and landings are impacted in such a scenario. Lightning too poses a risk for flights.

Fabric tear causes scare On the same day, visuals emerged on social media of an external tensile fabric, used to cover the area outside the arrivals hall at Terminal-1, tearing apart due to water accumulating on top of it. The water is then seen gushing onto the road and towards the arrivals hall.

Airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (Dial), however, described it as the "design's natural response to prevent excessive water retention."