Weather knocks Delhi’s busiest hub off schedule

Sheets of rain and a sudden drop in visibility slowed India’s busiest airport to a crawl on Tuesday evening. Arrivals into Delhi airport were halted or staggered, and 14 flights had to divert to other cities. One landed in Lucknow, while others were spread across the network as air traffic control worked to keep the sky safe.

Airport officials said thunderstorms and heavy rain reduced visibility below safe landing thresholds for stretches of time. That’s when pilots abandon holding patterns and head to alternates—standard safety practice when the weather gives no clear window to land.

Here’s how the diversions stacked up, according to officials:

• Lucknow: 1 flight
• Bhopal: 6 flights
• Chandigarh: 3 flights
• Amritsar: 2 flights
• Ahmedabad: 1 flight
• Varanasi: 1 flight

The ripple was immediate. Air India said its operations took a hit, with over 400 flights delayed and a number of cancellations as the evening wore on. The airline flagged bad weather and diversions in a public update and warned of follow-on delays as aircraft and crews drifted out of position.

When delays stretch, crews can run into duty-time limits. India’s regulator caps how long pilots and cabin crew can be on the clock to prevent fatigue. Once a crew hits that ceiling, the flight cannot legally depart until a fresh team takes over. On a stormy evening with diversions and long waits, those limits start to bite, which is why some flights were scrubbed even after the weather began to ease.

Capacity at Delhi was also tighter than usual. The airport is operating three runways while one remains shut for upgradation work. In good weather, that’s manageable. In poor visibility, though, fewer runways mean fewer movements per hour, longer spacing between aircraft, and more go-arounds. Add wet runways and slower taxi speeds, and the timetable slips further.

Why diversions happen — and what it means for passengers

Modern jets and airports are equipped to handle low visibility, but there’s a floor. Pilots use runway visual range data and instrument landing systems to decide if they can safely proceed. If wind, rain intensity, or visibility crosses set limits—or if storm cells sit right over the flight path—landing isn’t an option. Safety wins, every time.

Alternate airports are picked in advance and carried as fuel planning. On nights like this, controllers spread diversions to cities with clear weather, available parking, and ground handling capacity. That explains the cluster in Bhopal and Chandigarh, and single arrivals in Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, and Lucknow. It’s not random; it’s about weather windows, space on the ground, and a quick path to refueling and a return slot.

What happens next for passengers? Typically:

• Diverted flights refuel and wait for a safe slot back to Delhi, or, if the night is too tight, they deplane and move passengers to later services.
• Missed connections get rebooked. Early morning banks may also run late because aircraft and crews are out of sync.
• Airlines sometimes announce fee waivers or flexible changes during major disruptions; passengers should check official apps or SMS alerts for specifics.

Behind the scenes, air traffic managers run flow-control programs to meter arrivals and departures during storms. Spacing between aircraft increases, runway occupancy time goes up on wet surfaces, and ground controllers slow pushbacks to avoid gridlock. This keeps operations safe but reduces throughput, which is why delays multiply quickly.

Delhi’s hardware helps, but it can’t beat physics. The airport has advanced landing systems designed to handle low-visibility operations, yet intense rain and storm cells bring shifting winds, windshear risks, and fast-changing cloud bases. Even if equipment is ready, the sky might not be.

For travelers, a few practical tips help on nights like this: keep your airline app handy for gate and timing changes; if you have a tight connection, look for alternative routings early; and avoid rechecking bags if you’re on separate tickets, because getting your luggage off a diverted flight can take time. If you’re already on board and waiting, crew are following duty-time and safety rules—pushing past them isn’t allowed, and that’s a good thing.

The timing of Tuesday’s storms, coming during the evening peak, made recovery harder. Busy domestic banks, international departures, and a runway out for upgrades added strain. Expect some knock-on delays into the next morning as aircraft and crew rotations reset and maintenance checks catch up.

Weather-led disruptions aren’t rare in the pre-winter fog or during active storm systems, and Delhi’s hub status means any slowdown ripples across the country. The takeaway from Tuesday: the system bent but did not break. Diversions kept aircraft safely in the air and on the ground, and while the inconvenience was real, the safety margins held—exactly as designed.