33 flights delayed due to fog

Commuters at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) had their first brush with flight delays and diversions this winter due to fog.

The thick radiation fog which lasted about two-and-a-half hours resulted in the delay of almost 33 flights, including several international flights.

Airport officials said that 11 arrivals and 22 departures were affected due to the fog which lasted between 5 am to 7.30 am.

Officials added that the flights were delayed for a period between 15 minutes to one hour.According to flightstats.com, an online portal that tracks flight movement, an Emirates flight bound for Dubai and scheduled to depart at 4.15 am departed at 7.32 am.

Similarly a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai scheduled to land at 4.45 am landed at 7.35 am.Though visibility improved by around 7.30 am there was cascading effect on flight schedules as several inbound and outbound flights were delayed.

Two flights were also diverted to Chennai following poor visibility caused by the thick fog, said officials.

The fog related delay at the BIA normally has a cascading effect on the flight schedules as there are huge backlogs of aircraft both on ground and in air waiting in queue to land. Normally the fog that occurs at the BIA, known as ‘radiation fog’ which is anticipated from November 15 to February 15, between 3 am to 8.30 am.