Delhi Airport Cites Wind Shift, Runway Closure As Reasons Behind Flight Delays

SOURCE ; NEW18

Last Updated:April 20, 2025, 22:18 IST

Several flights of multiple airlines’ were delayed because the airport used only one runway, and repair works were being done on the other runway.

Delhi airport: Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were delayed on Sunday after one of the runways were shut for repair works, and unexpected shift in wind direction aggravated the delay.

Several flights of multiple airlines’ were delayed because the airport used only one runway, and repair works were being done on the other runway, reported NDTV.

The airport’s Runway 10/28 was closed on April 8 for the essential Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgradation. “Runway 10/28 will be brought back into operation in the first week of May, with the remaining upgrade activities deferred for a month or so,” the airport said.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) in a series of posts on X, acknowledged the inconvenience and blamed “limited action/non-action” by the airlines for adjusting flight schedules during the planning stage in the last four months for the runway repairs.

The airport further said that due to shifting wind pattern in the vicinity of the airport, certain airline operations are experiencing delays.

“Whenever the wind pattern shift happens to easterly winds and the limitation of the operational use of converging runways at Delhi Airport, there will be temporary capacity constraints for arrivals during this period. During such moments the Airlines had agreed to reschedule or cancel flights at short notice in interest of passenger safety and convenience. This scenario was part of the planning done with all stakeholders over the last 4 months,” it said.

For the past few days, passengers flying into Delhi are experiencing operational delays due to shifting wind patterns around the airport, which can affect how safely planes land.

“When these easterly wind situations have been arising in the past few days, including today, airlines have been advised, in accordance with pre-agreed plans, to adjust flight schedules. However, there were minimal to no changes made. Unfortunately, this limited action/non action has led to significant operational challenges for all the stakeholders including Delhi Airport and ATC and in the end impacted the passengers significantly,” DIAL added.

The airport further asserted that they are working with the air traffic control (ATC) and stakeholders to reduce inconvenience passengers are experiencing.

Another reason for the flight delays is the recent shift of all Terminal 2 operations to the newly-renovated Terminal 1 on April 15.

As per the news outlet, the average landing delay at the airport was 53 minutes, while the average take-off delay was 40 minutes.

Earlier today, the airport shared a travel advisory for passengers. The delays are happening because changing wind patterns are affecting airline schedules.

The advisory stated, “Air traffic flow management measures for flight arrivals will be implemented today to ensure safe operations, in accordance with international and regulatory protocols, keeping passenger safety as the highest priority. All other operations across terminals and three runways at Delhi Airport, continue to function normally. Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.”