Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) faced major disruption for the second consecutive day on Saturday, as more than 350 flights were delayed, according to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI). The delays stemmed from ongoing air traffic congestion that started Friday evening, triggered by adverse weather conditions, and spilled into Saturday’s schedule, significantly impacting passengers and flight schedules alike.
With the chaos unfolding, numerous frustrated passengers turned to social media to vent their grievances and document their experiences. Images and video clips circulated widely online showed long lines of travelers snaking through the airport, with terminals packed to capacity. Many travelers posted updates about missed connections and hours of waiting, underscoring the mounting distress as the situation dragged on without resolution.
PTI’s report indicated that the original cause of the disruptions was poor weather on Friday evening, which affected inbound and outbound flights. These weather-related delays created a domino effect that continued into Saturday, with air traffic flow hampered and ground operations stretched thin. As the day progressed, little relief was in sight for passengers already grappling with missed schedules and overcrowded terminals.
Despite the continuing impact, there were signs of gradual improvement. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates IGIA, posted an update on X (formerly known as Twitter) around 2:07 PM on Saturday, acknowledging the disruptions but suggesting that the worst might be over. “Flight operations at Delhi Airport are improving; however, a few flights are still impacted due to last night’s weather conditions,” DIAL stated in its post. While the message offered some reassurance, the mention of ongoing effects indicated that normal operations were yet to be fully restored.
Flight tracking data reinforced the scale of the problem. According to Flightradar24.com, a real-time global flight tracking website, more than 350 flights were delayed as of Saturday. The data also revealed that average departure delays had risen to more than 40 minutes, further frustrating both domestic and international travelers attempting to stick to their itineraries. With the airport being one of the busiest in the region, even a short delay can snowball quickly, especially when compounded by factors like inclement weather and limited runway availability.
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, also confirmed the delays and their wide-reaching implications across its network. In a post on X at 1:32 PM, the airline addressed the issue publicly and acknowledged the cascading effect. “Ongoing air traffic congestion in Delhi is causing flights to be held for takeoff and landing clearance. Due to the consequential impact, a few flights across the network are impacted too,” the airline wrote. The message suggested that the delays were not just localized to Delhi but were affecting schedules across the country due to aircraft and crew being out of rotation.
The operational capacity of the airport also added to the strain. PTI reported that IGIA is currently functioning with only three runways, as one of its four runways is temporarily closed for scheduled maintenance. This reduction in capacity has made it more difficult for the airport to handle a high volume of traffic during peak hours, especially when dealing with backup from prior delays. The closure has further restricted the airport’s ability to absorb disruptions and recover quickly, making delays more severe and recovery slower than usual.
The situation has brought to light several long-standing concerns regarding the infrastructure and operational resilience of major airports like IGIA. With Delhi serving as a central hub for both domestic and international air travel, any disruption has wide-ranging implications across the broader aviation ecosystem in India. The maintenance closure of a single runway, combined with adverse weather and air traffic congestion, was enough to throw the system off balance, indicating limited buffer capacity during high-stress scenarios.
As the delays continued through Saturday, there were calls from some quarters for better communication and contingency planning by both airlines and airport authorities. Passengers on social media complained about a lack of timely updates regarding the status of their flights, gate changes, and rescheduling options. Many said they only found out about delays after arriving at the airport, adding to their frustration. Clearer communication and real-time alerts could have helped ease the strain for many travelers, particularly those with tight connections or urgent travel needs.
Airline staff and airport personnel were seen doing their best to manage the crowds, but the scale of the disruption left many overwhelmed. Videos on social media showed passengers sitting on the floor in crowded waiting areas, while others queued up at help desks hoping for updates or alternate arrangements. Some travelers said they were left waiting for hours without food or water, adding to their discomfort and exhaustion.
The incident also prompted some travel experts to emphasize the need for a more robust emergency response protocol for India’s major airports. Suggestions included better weather forecasting integration with scheduling systems, dynamic air traffic management tools to reroute or delay flights more efficiently, and a clearer set of guidelines for informing passengers. These measures, they argued, could reduce the cascading effect of initial disruptions and speed up the recovery of regular services.
Saturday’s situation also highlighted the interconnectedness of airline operations in a country where passenger demand is steadily rising year after year. A disruption in one airport—especially a major hub like IGIA—can have ripple effects across the entire national air travel network. With the number of air travelers in India projected to continue growing in the coming years, experts say that boosting capacity, modernizing systems, and building redundancy into airport infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s essential.
As Saturday came to a close, efforts were still underway to return flight schedules to normal. Airport and airline officials continued to monitor the situation closely, while passengers waited anxiously for updates and hoped for smoother travel ahead. Though the worst of the delays appeared to be easing, full recovery was expected to take more time, especially with the runway maintenance continuing.
In summary, the disruptions at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport affected hundreds of flights and thousands of passengers over two days, sparked by bad weather and worsened by air traffic congestion and runway limitations. The experience exposed vulnerabilities in airport operations and pointed to a need for improved coordination, communication, and infrastructure upgrades to better handle such crises in the future.