Delhi has always been known for its poor air quality, making it difficult for the residents and tourists to even walk around and breathe normally. Now, as the winter season appears, the situation has become more critical as thick smog and fog cover the capital region. Scroll down to know more details!
Thick Smog And Fog In Delhi
Update issued at 11:05 hours.
Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/g1EYVtwWzY— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 19, 2025
On Thursday and Friday morning, Delhi residents woke up to thick smog and fog. It made it difficult to see ahead and affected travel to a major extent. Visibility dropped below 100 metres in many areas, disrupting flights, trains, and road travel across the capital.
On Thursday, December 18, bad visibility led to more than 500 flight delays and 27 cancellations. Between 6:45 am and 7:30 am, visibility dropped to just 100 metres before improving to around 200 metres. According to India Today, on Friday, around 150 flights are expected to be cancelled, which includes 79 departures and 73 arrivals. Given the situation, authorities at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport activated CAT III low-visibility procedures.
Under these rules, only specially trained pilots and aircraft are allowed to land in poor visibility. Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet warned passengers to expect sudden delays and possible cancellations.
Also Read: Mumbai Intl Airport Hits New Record With 1.76 L Passengers Per Day Travelling To Dubai, Delhi
Rail Services Also Affected
Not only air travel but also rail services experienced a major hit. As per Zee News, under the Delhi railway division, over 25 trains were delayed. While some trains were delayed by 30 minutes, others were late by seven hours. The major inconvenience was experienced by passengers travelling to and from North India.
Road travel became risky due to low visibility. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered speed restrictions for vehicles. Authorities stated that they would fine drivers who exceeded the speed limit during foggy conditions.
There’s no surprise that air pollution in Delhi has always remained a major concern. The average AQI was 387, which is considered very poor. In some areas, the situation was worse, with 14 out of 39 monitoring stations showing severe pollution levels above 400. The nearby places, Noida and Ghaziabad, also recorded high pollution.
We hope the situation in Delhi gets under control soon, and travelling gets back to normal operations!
Also Read: Why 3 Small Gujarat Road Stretches Are Delaying The ₹1.04 Lakh Crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway?
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ shayes17 (Representative Image)