Dense fog hits flight operations at SBSI Airport

Gaurav Kanthwal 

Mohali, December 28

Dense fog and low visibility on Thursday morning affected the flight schedule at the SBSI Airport with no arrivals till 11am and only three delayed departures to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi.

The early morning Pune-Chandigarh flight was diverted to Delhi, following which the Delhi-Chandigarh flight had to be cancelled.

The Bengaluru-Chandigarh flight arrival is likely to be delayed by four hours. All the departures at the Mohali airport are delayed by at least an hour-and-a-half.

The runway and apron area was crowded with aircraft waiting to take off as the incoming flights desperately looked for a window of opportunity to land.

It is for the first time this winter season that the flight schedule has gone awry due to fog and low visibility here.

Airport CEO Rakesh Ranjan Sahay on Wednesday said, “So far, visibility has not been an issue here. Only those flights which touch the Delhi sector are arriving or departing late from here.”

The Leh, Srinagar and Delhi flights are the worst affected this season with the passengers facing a delay of one to two hours.