Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport witnessed significant travel disruption on Wednesday as dense winter fog and airline operational issues led to the cancellation of six IndiGo flights and delays for at least fifteen others. The situation created chaos, with crowded terminals and anxious passengers waiting for hours for updates on their journeys.
Flight Cancellations and Major Delays
The airline cancelled three pairs of round-trip flights connecting Kolkata and Ranchi. The affected services were 6E 7059/7014, 6E 7674/7235, and 6E 7561/7562. This followed a similar pattern from Tuesday, when six other IndiGo flights were also cancelled for operational reasons.
Delays plagued the airport throughout the morning. Key affected flights included:
- IndiGo 6E 6484 from Patna, scheduled for an 8:25 am arrival, landed at 10:15 am.
- Flight 6E 6799 from Ranchi to Bengaluru, slated for an 8:55 am departure, took off at 10:45 am.
- Flight 6E 421 from Hyderabad arrived at 10:10 am instead of 9:00 am.
- Flight 6E 576 to Delhi departed at 10:25 am, missing its 9:05 am schedule.
- Flight 6E 398 to Hyderabad took off at 10:40 am against a 9:30 am planned time.
- Flight 6E 6287 reached Ranchi at 9:55 am, well past its 8:35 am scheduled arrival.
Passenger Plight and Airport Crowding
The cascading disruptions resulted in an over-crowded airport. Both outbound passengers and those arriving to receive inbound travelers were forced to wait for extended periods. Anxious faces were seen scanning the flight information display systems for any updates.
A concerned relative waiting for a passenger on the delayed Patna-Ranchi flight 6E 6484 shared their frustration, noting the nearly two-hour delay from the original 8:25 am arrival time.
Official Reasons: Fog and Operational Constraints
Airport authorities cited a combination of factors. Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar explained that while airlines sometimes cancel flights on certain sectors due to their own operational issues, the primary culprit was the weather. "Not having sufficient visibility for landing and take-off due to fog is the reason behind flight operations getting delayed or diverted," he stated.
He detailed the technical challenge: while the airport's landing system permits operations with visibility of 1,300 to 1,500 meters, recent mornings have seen visibility plummet to between 700 and 800 meters. This falls below the safety threshold, directly impacting morning flight schedules.
Echoing this, Abhishek Anand, Director of IMD Ranchi, confirmed that visibility remains below 1,500 meters until around 8:30 am due to moderate fog. He warned that "dense fog situation will cover the city over the next few days," indicating potential for continued disruptions.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of air travel in northern India during the winter months, where fog consistently tests airport infrastructure and airline scheduling resilience, often leaving passengers in limbo.
