Republic Day 2024: Amidst the restrictions on aircraft movement for Republic Day 2024, approximately 700 scheduled flights into and out of Delhi were cancelled by airlines between January 19 and January 26. “No flights would be arriving or departing from Delhi Airport between 10.20 am to 12.45 pm (IST)” for January 19–26, according to a revised notice to airmen (NOTAM) released on Friday. Flypast rehearsals are subject to this yearly restriction.
Over 700 Flights Cancelled
Airlines estimate that well over 700 flights may have been cancelled as a result of the amended NOTAM, though Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) did not disclose the exact number. According to reports, IndiGo, the biggest airline in India, cancels 35–40 flights a day, or over 300 flights overall.
It has been reported that Vistara has cancelled roughly 25 flights every day, which equates to another 200. There have been over 500 cancellations just from these two. When Air India and other airlines are taken into account, the total number of cancellations may approach 700, according to reports.
Potential Flight Delays Loom Over Delhi
On these days, flight delays could worsen if Delhi experiences heavy fog. The reason: aircraft movement usually resumes from late morning at the runway constrained IGIA on dense fog days and then the backlog of delayed/diverted flights building up from late night is sought to be gradually cleared till late evening when visibility again starts falling. Now till Jan 26, almost 2.5 hours of flight movement in what are usually good visibility hours will not be allowed. If you have a flight in and out of Delhi during these days, check with the airline about its status before heading to the airport, airline officials said.
IndiGo Adapts with Flight Changes
An IndiGo spokesperson said: “Due to flypast rehearsals for the Republic Day parade, airspace restrictions have been imposed around Delhi airport from Jan 19-26. Consequently, rescheduling and cancellations of some IndiGo flights during these dates have been carried out. Passengers on impacted flights have been informed of the change in status and have been offered alternate options or refunds.”
Non-Scheduled Flight Ban from January 19–25
Prior to this, on January 16, a NOTAM had prohibited non-scheduled flights (charters) at Delhi from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. on January 19–25. From January 26 to 29, this restriction was to be in effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., per the previous NOTAM. The preceding NOTAM did not apply to scheduled flights, defence and state-owned aircraft, or helicopters operating in CMs or governors. The Airports Authority of India has issued a new NOTAM, which now affects scheduled flights as well.
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