13 flight diversions, several delays at Delhi airport due to VIP movement

NEW DELHI: At least 13 flights were diverted and several dozens delayed from Delhi's IGI airport on Saturday evening. The diversions were due to a mix of VIP movement and flights not sticking to their schedules.

The diversions took place between 5:30pm to 6:15pm, however the delays continued for several hours with flights subsequently getting affected.

Several carriers also took to Twitter, informing passengers to check their flight status before arriving at the airport.



The Delhi airport through its three runways handles nearly 1200 flight movements each day, with flight movements reaching nearly 70 during peak hours. The airport is likely to see even more congestion and delays in the coming days with the maintenance of runway 11/29 scheduled from November 7 to November 10 which will see flight movements come down to just 45 per hour.


"Runway 11-29 will remain closed for maintenance for three days from 12.01 am on November 7 to 7 am on November 10. The scheduled time was chosen after a careful evaluation by airport operator in close consultation with Airports Authority of India (AAI) and airlines. Given the onset of fog season, the time was jointly agreed from the perspective of safety and operational reliability," DIAL had said in a statement, adding that they had revised slot allocations in consultation with all airlines.