Over 300 Flights Delayed At Delhi Airport; No GRAP 3 Anti-Pollution Measures In Smog-Hit Delhi, Know Why?

New Delhi: Several flight operations were affected in Delhi on Thursday as a dense layer of smog engulfed the national capital, bringing down the visibility. According to Flightradar 24, over 300 flights have been delayed at the Delhi Airport.

A total of 115 flights arriving in Delhi since 12 am, and 226 flights departing from the national capital have been delayed, the flight tracker website said.

Presently, there is a 17-minute average delay in arrivals and a significant 54-minute average delay in departures, it said.

The Delhi airport issued an advisory for passengers, alerting them of the low visibility.

“Low visibility procedures in progress at Delhi Airport. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” it wrote on X.

Meanwhile;e, Environment Minister Gopal Rai confirmed that the third phase of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP 3) will not be imposed for now despite Delhi’s air quality being in the ‘severe’ category for a second day on Thursday.

“For the last two days, for the first time this season, AQI has gone above 400 in Delhi. Many people have questions in their minds about why the AQI which was in the ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ category since October 14 suddenly went into the ‘severe’ category. Meteorologists have reported that due to snowfall in the mountains, a drop in the temperature of Delhi has been recorded. Due to this, dry conditions have been created in the morning and evening in the entirety of North India,” Rai said.

“There is a possibility of improvement in the pollution level from tomorrow, due to which Grap 3 is not being imposed in Delhi. Today we are again giving instructions that the rules made under Grap 2 should be followed on the ground so that Grap 3 does not have to be implemented. If the pollution again goes into the ‘severe’ category then the Delhi government will take all the necessary steps and will work together with the people of Delhi,” Rai said.