Flights diverted, runway shut in New Delhi

The downpour not only caused dozens of flights to be diverted from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, it also forced authorities to close the new runway and left passengers angry in the face of a leaking roof in one terminal.

The 126mm of rain exposed the inefficiency of the airport operator. “The traffic snarls in roads leading to airport were horrifying. The terminals for arrival were flooded, some taxiing tracks were deluged and runway 29 was shut down due to poor visibility.

Airport sources told DNA that only runway 28 was operational in the evening since pilots found it difficult to land at runway 29 due to poor visibility.

“This slowed down air traffic clearance drastically,” said a senior airport official. Over a dozen flights were diverted and almost all domestic flights scheduled for evening and late night international flights were behind schedule. On top of this, passengers were harassed by a leaky roof in a terminal. “This is ridiculous. Passengers expect better service,” said Rakesh Kandpal, a frequent flier.

A senior official from Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) admitted there were a few leaks in Terminal 1D. He blamed poor drainage for the water logging.