Delhi airport flight status update: Flyers alert! Delays, cancelled flights, airfare hikes in offing!

Delhi airport flight status update: Just when flyers want a smooth flight, the chances of getting that are fast evaporating. Now, passengers must gear themselves up to availability of limited flights and at the same face the prospects of airfare hikes. This is not just due to winter, now even the Republic Day has come into play. 

Passengers now face the prospect of over 800 flights being affected! What is worse is that a majority of these are likely to be cancelled! Why? Because of airspace closure in Delhi for about an hour and a half between 10.45 am and 12.15 pm on seven days starting January 18, 20-24, and 26 (Republic Day celebrations), according to Times of India.

90 domestic and 30 international flights were scheduled to operate every day during this period at Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International Airport), leading to an impact on 120 flights a day or 840 during the seven-day period.

However, attempts will be made to assist the affected flights either before or after the closure period, it was revealed. The fact that IGIA is completely smothered with air traffic with barely any free slot to add a flight, the likelihood of any flight getting rescheduled are remote.

“The airport operator, Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL), in coordination with the air traffic control (ATC), has already sensitised airline community regarding the expected impact,” a senior government official told ToI. The airlines have been advised to adjust their respective schedules during this period to minimize the impact on passengers," he added. 

The Delhi ATC, in coordination with DIAL, will hold a meeting with the airlines in the second week of January to conclude the finalised schedule during the closure period. No remark came from DIAL till the time of filing this report.

Indian Air Force has recommended a seven-day closure for 2019. Last year, the proposed period was nine days from January 18 to 26 between 10.30 am and 12.15 pm. Post the implementation of the step almost 1,000 flights were affected so the closure period was reduced to seven days by removing January 19 and 25 from that list and the same has been done this year as well.