Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) experienced significant disruptions on Wednesday as severe weather—characterized by gusty winds and heavy monsoon rain—forced the diversion of five flights, according to PTI and airport officials .
✈️ Diversion Details
- Two IndiGo flights were rerouted to Jaipur.
- Two Air India flights also diverted to Jaipur.
- One Air India flight was sent to Amritsar due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Air India and IndiGo posted alerts on X (formerly Twitter), warning travelers of flight delays and diversions as intense rain and strong winds moved through the region .
🌧️ Weather Impact
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast periods of heavy rain combined with thunderstorms and winds reaching up to 60 km/h across Delhi and its surrounding areas
- Airport runway capacity was reduced during peak weather, limiting arrivals and departures and prompting air traffic controllers to side-step IGIA when safe diversions were feasible.
🛬 Industry & Passenger Response
- Travel advisories were issued by Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, emphasizing the need for passengers to check flight statuses and allow extra time for journeys amid potential traffic delays en route to the airport .
- Ground staff at IGIA assisted passengers with rebooking, transfers, and accommodation arrangements for diverted flights.
- Despite disruptions, IGIA operations continued, with flights resuming quickly after weather conditions improved, and airport infrastructure handling the diversion management smoothly.
🧭 Aviation Insight
- Diversions as standard procedure: Aircraft are routinely rerouted to alternate airports to maintain safety margins when conditions at the intended destination fall below landing minima.
- Monsoon-season readiness: IGIA and airlines have long-established monsoon protocols, coordinating between meteorological agencies, air traffic control, and airline operations centers.
- ATC coordination: Rerouting a cluster of flights to Jaipur and Amritsar requires coordinated planning across multiple ATC sectors, demonstrating operational bandwidth under weather stress.