Dense Fog Grounds Chennai Airport, Forces Multiple Flight Diversions
Flight operations at Chennai International Airport faced significant disruption on Sunday morning as a thick blanket of fog drastically reduced runway visibility, leading to the diversion of several flights and causing extensive delays across the aviation network.
Severe Visibility Drop Triggers Widespread Diversions
The unsettling weather conditions saw runway visibility plummet to a mere 150 metres by 7:30 AM, a sharp decline from 1,500 metres recorded just two hours earlier at 5:30 AM. This dramatic reduction forced airport authorities to implement low-visibility procedures from 6:30 AM onward, when visibility fell below the critical threshold of 600 metres.
International flights bore the immediate brunt of the disruption. An IndiGo flight originating from Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to land at 7 AM, was redirected to Bengaluru. Similarly, an AirAsia service also coming from Kuala Lumpur, with a planned arrival time of 7:26 AM, found itself diverted to Trichy. Adding to the list, an Emirates flight from Dubai was also forced to alter its course and land in Bengaluru instead of its intended destination in Chennai.
Domestic Network Also Severely Impacted
The domestic flight schedule was equally thrown into chaos. An IndiGo flight from Mumbai, due to arrive at 6:35 AM, was diverted to Bengaluru. Another IndiGo service from Pune, scheduled for a 7:10 AM landing, was redirected to Coimbatore. In a separate incident highlighting the severity of the conditions, an Air India Express flight was compelled to return to Bengaluru shortly after take-off upon receiving reports of the deteriorating visibility in Chennai. Furthermore, an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad was diverted to Tirupati.
Beyond the outright diversions, the ripple effects were felt across the airport's entire operation. Numerous other international and domestic flights, both arriving and departing, experienced substantial delays. Many incoming aircraft were forced into holding patterns, circling the airport as they waited for visibility to improve, while departing flights operated under strict low-visibility protocols.
Meteorological Factors Behind the Dense Fog
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) provided insight into the weather phenomenon, attributing the dense fog formation to a specific confluence of atmospheric conditions. A combination of high humidity levels, light to virtually calm wind speeds, and notably low night-time temperatures created the perfect environment for the thick fog to develop and settle over the airport and its surrounding areas, severely hampering aviation activities for several critical morning hours.
