Dense fog forces Mumbai–Chandigarh flight to return after two hours, passengers harassed

An airport official said, “When the flight departed from Mumbai, weather conditions in Chandigarh were clear. The situation worsened suddenly during the flight, making it unsafe for landing.”

Rachit Goel, a passenger, alleged that after landing back in Mumbai late at night, they were neither given clear information nor immediate alternative arrangements.

Airport sources said that on Tuesday morning, foggy conditions continued to affect operations. IndiGo flights arriving from Abu Dhabi and Bengaluru were made to circle over the airport for a considerable time and were allowed to land only after visibility improved. “Around five to six flights were diverted temporarily but were called back once conditions became favourable,” sources said.

Due to the fog, several IndiGo flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad were cancelled. Besides this, around 30 flights — 15 departures and 15 arrivals — were delayed by 15 minutes to over an hour, causing further inconvenience to passengers.

With dense fog continuing to impact air services across north India, the airport authorities have advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling and to reach the airport well in advance.