In booking a flight to New Delhi with her two children, Sadia Anwar had only one goal in mind: to reach her ailing father in Bhopal as soon as possible. However, her flight was cancelled, causing her to miss her connecting flight to Bhopal. She was later put on a flight to Mumbai, which was delayed by more than two hours.

"I received a call that my father was on a ventilator," she said. “I just wanted to get home to him as soon as possible, so this flight cancellation and delay was very frustrating.”

Sadia is one of the thousands of passengers affected by flight cancellations across India because of inclement weather. "Over 150 flights to and within India have been cancelled or delayed in the last two days," said Safeer Mahamood, general manager at Smart Travels. New Delhi airport was the worst hit. Many domestic and international flights were delayed from that airport as a result of delays from that airport."

Fog of unprecedented depths

Fog and other weather conditions in some cities in India, especially New Delhi, have resulted in extremely low visibility at airports. This has significantly impacted flight traffic, causing rampant delays and cancellations nationwide. There are some passengers who took to social media to express their distress, but there are others who have taken matters to extremes.

The video of a man slapping a pilot after a 10-hour flight delay went viral on Monday. Other incidents of passengers using the tarmac as a dining hall and irate customers arguing with airport staff have also been posted on social media.

Sadia said she was lucky to have her flights changed. “I called Air India from Dubai and requested them to cancel my New Delhi-Bhopal tickets and rebook it for Mumbai-Bhopal,” she said. “I explained that it was extremely important I reach there at the earliest. They were understanding of my situation and accommodated me. So I was able to reach home and be by my father. Thankfully, he is doing marginally better now.”

The Indian government has put in place several measures to deal with the situation, according to the civil aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia. Among other initiatives, airports and airline operators have set up war rooms at six airports to address passenger concerns.

The global issue

According to Safeer, flight delays and cancellations have been a global problem. “We saw delays on some flights in the US sector, particularly among domestic flights,” he said. “Mauritius has also been affected by the cyclone Belal. So, several local carriers have cancelled or delayed flights. Heathrow has also experienced weather issues, and certain flights have been diverted. Flights to Canada also face some issues. However, one of the worst hit areas remains India.”

Passengers traveling to one of the affected areas should check their flights and contact their airlines. “If the weather is bad, it is a situation that keeps changing,” he said. “So, passengers must factor this in when they prepare to fly. It might be a good idea for them to pack some essentials into their carry-on in case of delays."