Flight operations at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) faced severe disruption on Saturday, as a combination of dense fog across northern India and adverse weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) led to widespread delays and cancellations.
Widespread Delays and Cancellations Hit Travel
The airport recorded a total of 55 delayed arrivals and departures throughout the day. The situation was compounded by two flight diversions and three cancellations. Official sources confirmed that departures were heavily impacted, with 35 flights running behind schedule. This included 31 domestic and four international services. Two departures were cancelled outright due to operational reasons.
The domestic sector bore the brunt of the chaos. Flights destined for cities in North India were particularly affected, where poor visibility in Delhi and surrounding regions created a cascading effect. This led to significant aircraft rotation issues, disrupting schedules across the network.
Worst-Hit Routes and International Impact
Among the most severely affected were flights connecting Ahmedabad to Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Jammu, Dehradun, Ayodhya, and Varanasi. Passengers on some of these routes endured delays of three to four hours. Even metro routes like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Goa experienced intermittent delays as congestion and aircraft availability problems piled up through the day.
Inbound flights were not spared either. 18 domestic and two international arrivals were delayed. International passengers from Bangkok and Sharjah faced extended wait times. The disruption also led to two domestic flights being diverted. A service from Delhi to Ahmedabad was redirected to Indore, while a Srinagar-Ahmedabad flight had to land in Delhi instead.
The international sector felt the impact of stormy weather in the Gulf. Three UAE-bound flights and one Bangkok service were delayed. Flights to Sharjah were pushed back by approximately 90 minutes, while services to Dubai faced delays ranging from 45 minutes to nearly four hours.
Airline Advisory and Passenger Guidance
Airline officials highlighted that fog in North India remains a critical challenge during the early morning and late evening hours in winter, often causing knock-on delays across their entire network. In light of the unpredictable conditions, passengers were strongly advised to monitor their flight status closely and factor in substantial buffer time, especially when booking connecting flights or planning onward travel.
The day's events underscore the vulnerability of air travel to regional weather phenomena, where conditions in one part of the country or a key international hub can significantly disrupt schedules at a major airport like Ahmedabad's SVPI.
