New Delhi: A full-blown blame game has erupted between airlines and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) as delays continue to plague flights at India’s busiest hub. Responding to Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah’s comment on X that “Delhi airport is a b****y s**t show” after his Jammu-Delhi reached the destination in 5.5 hours with a diversion stop in Jaipur, DIAL blamed airlines for making “minimal to no changes” to flight schedules. Airlines, on their part, questioned the timing of runway repair work by the airport operator.
“Delhi airport is a b****y s**t show (excuse my French, but I’m in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning (Sunday) on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I’ve no idea what time we will leave from here,” Abdullah said in X early on Sunday morning.
Abdullah had boarded IndiGo’s 6E-5642, which took off from Jammu at 9.30 pm. The Airbus A320 hovered in Delhi for 1.5 hours and, then, diverted to Jaipur where it landed at 12.30 am on Sunday. According to flight tracking sites, the aircraft finally took off from Jaipur at 2.14 am and reached IGIA just after 3 am.
Responding to him, Delhi Airport said on X: “… The closure of runway 10/28 since April 8 for essential instrument landing system (ILS) upgradation, was planned well in advance… it was agreed among all stakeholders, including airlines and air traffic control (ATC) that whenever the shift (in wind flow) happens to easterly winds… airlines are to reschedule or cancel flights at short notice…. Airlines were advised, in accordance with pre-agreed plans, to adjust flight schedules. However, there was 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.”
On their part, airlines blame the timing on the airport operator. “Just look at past three years and Delhi Airport has been facing one challenge after the other. Last year, terminal 1 issue happened. Before that, the main runway could not handle CAT III B landings in the winter of 2023-24. Now, this is the latest issue. How do they expect to meet the growing air travel requirement with such erratic service,” said officials across airlines.
With its three currently operational runways and unseasonal easterly winds, IGIA can handle a maximum of up to 32 arrivals in an hour. But the number of flights scheduled to fly in is way higher than this number, leading to endemic delays and diversions. Cumulatively, 94 arrivals on a daily basis are in hours exceeding the up to 32 mark.