Fog delays over 50 flights at Bengaluru, 41 flights in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 6: At least 50 flights were scheduled to be delayed between 6:00 am and 12:00 am today at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru due to dense fog.

Air Quality Index of three areas in Bengaluru had reached unhealthy levels. In Silk Board area, PM 2.5 reading was 152 this morning. In BTM area, PM 2.5 reading touched 156 and in Jayanagar Fifth Block the reading was 151.

Meanwhile, 41 flights were scheduled to be delayed between 6:00 am and 12:00 am at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi due to dense fog. Fog in the city made driving vehicles difficult as visibility was extremely low.

In fact, since the first week of December, there have been regular delays and cancellations at India's busiest airport that handles 1,300 arrivals and departures every day. And it has hit passengers hard.

Last-minute air fares from Delhi airport to key domestic destinations, on an average, have surged 28% amid flight operations being affected by dense fog and poor visibility, according to a report by travel firm Ixigo.

The spike in spot fares from Delhi to cities such as Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad were primarily due to delays and cancellations caused by fog and low visibility, the report said. According to Ixigo, the hike in last-minute fares was highest on the Delhi-Kolkata route, where ticket prices jumped 47%, while the Delhi-Pune route had the lowest increase at 11%.