Visibility drops to 100 metres in Delhi; North India flights stare at more cancellations as dense fog disrupts air traffic

On Thursday morning, the general visibility was barely 100 metres and the temperature was 10 degrees Celsius, as per the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) in Delhi.

VIDEO | Ballia, UP: Dense fog blankets the region as winter intensifies across northern India. Reduced visibility and chilly conditions mark the deepening winter spell. Visuals from Bilthara Road Station.#DenseFog #WinterInNorthIndia #UPWeather

(Full VIDEO available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/INdgYdFTxG

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 18, 2025

Air India offers full refunds for flights cancelled due to fog

Air India said that the impact of fog would primarily be in Delhi, but the effect of the schedule alterations could cascade down to some other cities across the airline’s network. “Over the next few days, potential dense fog conditions resulting in poor visibility may impact flight operations at our primary hub in Delhi, and a few airports in northern and eastern India, with a cascading effect in some other cities across our network,” Air India said in an X post.

“Despite our efforts, if dense fog leads to sudden cancellations or prolonged delays, our ground colleagues will be available round-the-clock to assist you and make alternative arrangements,” Air India added. The airline said that under its ‘FogCare’ initiative, passengers booked on flights that are likely to be impacted by the fog will receive advance alerts on their registered phone numbers and they will have the option to change their flights without any extra payment, or seek a full refund on the bookings without any penalty.

Air India passengers can check their flight schedules on https://www.airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html.

IndiGo cancels more flights

IndiGo, which was already dealing with flight cancellations due to operational reasons, has been dealt a double whammy due to the fog. Its winter schedule has already been cut 10% by an order of the government. Now, it is facing further cancellations due to the extreme fog conditions.

#WATCH | Delhi: Dense fog shrouds the national capital.

(Visuals from the Mahipalpur area) pic.twitter.com/1gRJdGaDqs

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2025

In its latest update, IndiGo said: “Due to dense fog in Chandigarh, visibility has reduced drastically, impacting flight operations. As a precaution, some flights have been cancelled through the day to prioritise safety and help minimise extended waiting at the airport.”

IndiGo passengers can check their flight status on https://www.goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html.

SpiceJet on Wednesday night warned: “Due to bad weather (poor visibility) at Varanasi (VNS), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights might be affected.” The airline requested its customers to keep checking their SpiceJet flight status at regular intervals on https://www.spicejet.com/#status.