Republic Day: Delhi Airport To Halt Operations Until R-Day, Check Timings

There will be a restriction on flights landing at or taking off from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport between 10:20 am and 12:45 pm until Republic Day, as announced by the government. The announcement was issued by NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) on Friday morning,

Airspace restrictions will be in effect till Republic Day and again on January 29 for the Beating Retreat ceremony at Delhi's Vijay Chowk, reported ANI. The report also mentioned the closure of Delhi airport, prohibiting flights from taking off or landing, from 6 am to 9 pm on Republic Day.

It's important to note that helicopter operations of the Air Force, Army, or Border Security Force, as well as aircraft operated by the centre ferrying the Governor or Chief Minister of a state, will not be affected by the NOTAM.

The annual feature of a partial shutdown of operations at one of the busiest airports in the world occurs as the capital is enveloped in a security blanket ahead of Republic Day celebrations.

The daily 145-minute closure of Delhi airport for the next week could potentially impact commercial schedules further, following weeks of heavy fog causing delays, diversions, and/or cancellations of hundreds of flights.

Visuals of the chaos were widely shared online, and the flashpoint was the shocking assault of an IndiGo flight captain by an irate flier on the Delhi-Goa service after a delay of nearly 13 hours.

A six-point action plan to combat fog-induced disruptions to domestic and international commercial flight operations was announced this week by Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. In a post on X, new SOPs for airlines to "mitigate passenger inconvenience" and the establishment of 'war rooms' were outlined by Scindia.

The 75th Republic Day celebration in India next week, with France President Emmanuel Macron as the chief guest, marks the 6th time a French leader will be the guest of honour at an R-Day parade.

As part of the security blanket for the big day, the use of paragliders and other flying objects has been banned by Delhi Police until February 15. The list of banned objects includes hang gliders and microlight aircraft, as well as unmanned or remotely piloted aircraft and drones, and hot air balloons. Para jumping, or parachuting, has also been prohibited.

A mock anti-terror drill at the Akshardham Temple was conducted by Delhi Police's East District division. The exercise is designed to evaluate the force's readiness to respond to diverse crises.