Weather Updates: The favourite troublemaker of winter returned to the scene on Sunday as heavy fog disrupted flight operations in North India. Several services of IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India had to be either cancelled or delayed, thus making early-morning travel plans a waiting game. With visibility dropping at a much faster rate than departure times, airports implemented Low Visibility Procedures and passengers kept refreshing flight-status pages. From missed connections to unanticipated lounge time, flyers experienced the chill long before their flights. The communication to travellers was very straightforward: if fog is on the runway, then patience is your most important carry-on luggage.
DGCA Declares Official Fog Window
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has designated the period from December 10, 2025, to February 10, 2025, as the official fog window for this winter.
Airlines have been directed to strictly follow CAT-IIIB low-visibility operating norms during this period.
DGCA Guidelines For Airlines During Fog Season
As part of the guidelines, airlines must:
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Roster pilots trained for low-visibility operations
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Deploy CAT-IIIB-compliant aircraft
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Ensure operational readiness throughout the fog window
Cancellations Hit Key Domestic Corridors Amid Fog Disruptions
IndiGo’s decision to cancel flights had a domino effect on a good number of domestic routes, breaking connectivity between important cities across the country. PTI reported that the cancellations affected, in equal measure, flights connecting Chandigarh, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Gaya, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur and Pune.
The extensive impact created a situation where passengers had to find alternative ways to travel, suffer missed connections and endure longer waits. Fog that continued to hinder flight movements took its toll most heavily on these busy routes, revealing the fragility of winter travel corridors during peak periods amid weather disruptions.