96 flight schedules disrupted at KIA

Dense fog continued to disrupt air travellers’ plans, with 96 flight schedules at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) impacted on Tuesday.

Flights were suspended between 4.37 a.m. and 7.49 a.m., leading to four diversions to Chennai, and delays in 28 arrivals and 55 departures. Five departures and four arrivals had to be cancelled.

To minimise hardship to passengers, the airport was not closed on Tuesday for runway maintenance, to “facilitate aircraft operations and ensure that passengers are impacted to the least extent possible.” The KIA statement said this was a one-time measure.

The airport is closed for operations every Tuesday between 12.30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

On Sunday, 110 flight schedules were disrupted as visibility dipped to 250 m in the morning. Flight operations were suspended from 6.05 a.m. to 9 a.m., leading to diversion of five flights, all to Chennai, delay in 70 departures and 26 arrivals apart from cancellations of nine flights.

Low visibility, owing to dense fog, has been wreaking havoc over the last few days, with disruption in 206 flights in the past three days alone.

The usual practice is to delay, divert or cancel flights when visibility drops below 400 m. However, the visibility at KIA has dropped to as low as 50 m in the last few days owing to dense fog during early morning hours.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted that the situation will continue for at least a week, with its forecast showing “fog/mist in the morning and mainly clear sky later” till January 1, 2018.

S.M. Metri, Director, IMD, Bengaluru, said though the minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius was near normal compared with previous years, fog formation this winter has been more severe. “Fog formation has two factors — a clear sky and a calm wind that doesn’t blow. As far as our predictions go, fog is likely for the rest of the week,” he said.