Jyotiraditya Scindia has urged Delhi Airport to swiftly activate the CAT III-enabled fourth runway.
During the intense fog conditions in Delhi causing airlines to divert or delay flights, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday outlined the measures being implemented. “to mitigate the situation in the near future”. He also assured people that all stakeholders are “working round the clock to minimise the fog-related impact”.
“Yesterday, Delhi witnessed unprecedented fog wherein visibility fluctuated for several hours, and at times, dropped to zero between 5 AM to 9 AM. The authorities, therefore, were compelled to enforce a shut-down of operations for some time even on CAT III runways (CAT III runways cannot handle Zero-Visibility operations). The decision was taken keeping passenger safety in mind, which remains the foremost priority for all in the aviation ecosystem,” Scindia wrote on social media X.
Sharing the steps taken to resolve the issue, the aviation minister said, “Delhi Airport has been asked to immediately expedite the operationalization of the CAT III-enabled 4th runway (in addition to the existing CAT III-enabled runway) to the satisfaction of the DGCA, in order to get approvals.”
“The DGCA will issue an SOP for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise discomfort in view of flight cancellations & delays due to adverse weather,” he added.
Scindia requested travellers to bear with the authorities “during this difficult period”.
Responding to an incident of reported assault on an IndiGo pilot during a Delhi-Goa flight on Sunday, the minister stated, “Incidences of unruly behaviour amidst this are unacceptable, and will be dealt with strongly in line with the existing legal provisions.”
A video circulating on social media purportedly captures the incident, revealing Sahil Kataria, clad in a yellow jacket, striking the pilot while he was making an announcement inside the aircraft.
In a statement, IndiGo Airlines said Katariya “assaulted” the co-pilot and that the matter had been referred to an independent internal committee for the inclusion of the passenger on the “no-fly list”.
In a video clip, other crew members could be seen shouting at him after Sahil Kataria hit the pilot. In another video clip, Sahil Kataria is seen being taken out of the aircraft by security personnel even as he apologised for his conduct. Sahil Kataria was then taken to a police station and later arrested.
More than 100 flights faced delays in Delhi on Sunday. Flight operations resumed intermittently on Monday morning, as confirmed by an airport official to Reuters. Flightradar24, an aviation website, indicated that at least 168 departing flights from Delhi were delayed, and 56 flights were canceled on Monday morning.
Additionally, a news agency in which Reuters holds a minority stake, reported that at least 18 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country were running behind schedule due to dense fog, according to information from a railway document.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted dense fog and a cold wave in New Delhi on Monday, followed by ‘very dense fog’ on Tuesday, with a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius.
Due to dense fog, the Indira Gandhi International Airport was non-operational from 4 am to 10 am on Sunday, causing extensive delays and frustrations at airports nationwide. Videos on social media and news channels depicted irate passengers engaging in heated arguments with airport staff at New Delhi and other airports.