SRINAGAR: The Srinagar International Airport faced a temporary disruption in flight operations on Tuesday morning, as a dense fog blanketed the Kashmir valley, causing poor visibility. Officials reported that three morning flights experienced delays, impacting both arrivals and departures.
The foggy conditions in Kashmir on Tuesday morning were attributed to the season’s lowest minimum temperature, which plummeted to minus 1.2 degrees Celsius overnight. The local weather department predicts that this foggy weather is likely to persist until November 26, posing potential challenges for air travel in the region.
To provide context on the impact of the fog disruption, officials shared recent passenger statistics. On November 20, 2023, a total of 60 flights transported 10,762 passengers—5,249 arrivals and 5,513 departures. In contrast, the previous day, November 19, saw reduced air traffic with 30 flights handling 5,424 passengers—2,681 arrivals and 2,743 departures.
The disruption highlights the vulnerability of flight operations to adverse weather conditions, prompting authorities to closely monitor the situation and implement measures to minimize future disruptions. Passengers are advised to stay informed about their flight schedules and anticipate potential delays as the foggy weather persists in the region.
“I had a death at home and when I was information I was in Mumbai,” a professional who was on an official work said. “I flew the early morning flight and after it reached Srinagar, it kept hovering for an hour over the airport and later flew to Amritsar for many hours. It flew back to Srinagar in the afternoon. Somehow, I joined the funeral prayers almost 24 hours later.”
There are various such instances in which the fog prevents the landing and the aircrafts fly back to Delhi and even Ahmadabad.
Airport authority is facing criticism for not installing the anti-fog system even when it was promised earlier. The Srinagar airport is one of the busiest runways in the region.
