A thick blanket of winter fog engulfed Delhi and vast stretches of northern India in the early hours of Monday, December 30, 2025, causing severe disruption to both air and rail services and inconveniencing thousands of travellers. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a red alert for Delhi, warning of dense to very dense fog conditions across several parts of the north.
Travel Chaos Unfolds
Visibility across the National Capital Region (NCR) plummeted sharply during the morning, severely hampering operations at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The Northern Railway network also reported significant delays for several trains. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) took to social media platform X to inform passengers about the reduced visibility at select airports in Northern India, warning of possible flight delays.
The AAI advised passengers to stay in close contact with their airlines via official channels for real-time updates and to plan their journeys by allowing extra time for airport arrival and check-in. The authority confirmed it had activated passenger facilitation measures and deployed assistance teams at affected airports to support travellers.
Official Advisories and Passenger Facilitation
Echoing the concerns, the Ministry of Civil Aviation also issued an advisory on X. It urged passengers to proactively check their flight status, remain in touch with their airlines, and allocate additional travel time. The Ministry instructed airlines to strictly adhere to passenger facilitation norms. These include providing timely flight information, offering meals for delayed passengers, facilitating rebooking or refunds for cancellations, ensuring no denial of boarding after timely check-in, and handling baggage and grievances promptly.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and convenience, stating it was closely monitoring the situation. For immediate assistance, passengers were directed to contact their airline's customer support. Key numbers shared included IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, IndiaOne Air, Star Air, and Fly91.
Prolonged Disruption and Weather Outlook
Visibility conditions saw only a marginal improvement after 9 am, allowing operations to gradually stabilize. However, the early morning chaos had a cascading effect on flight schedules throughout the day, impacting passengers travelling to and from the capital.
The IMD forecast indicates that dense to very dense fog is likely to persist over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and west Uttar Pradesh over the next few days. The weather office has indicated that these conditions may continue until at least January 1, 2026, with a possibility of extension based on local weather patterns. The early morning and late-night hours are expected to be the worst affected.
Meteorologists attribute the intense fog formation to the presence of western disturbances over the region, creating favourable conditions across the Indo-Gangetic plains. Commuters and travellers are strongly advised to stay alert, exercise caution, and verify their travel schedules before heading out during this period.
