Amid flight delays at Delhi airport, aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia shares action plan

Amid the severe fog conditions in Delhi, forcing the airlines to divert or delay their flights, aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday shared the steps being taken “to mitigate the situation in the near future”. He also assured people that all stakeholders are “working round the clock to minimise the fog related impact”.

Fog drapes an aircraft at the Delhi airport on Sunday morning. (ANI) “Yesterday, Delhi witnessed unprecedented fog wherein visibility fluctuated for several hours, and at times, dropped to zero between 5 AM to 9 AM. The authorities, therefore, were compelled to enforce a shut down of operations for some time even on CAT III runways (CAT III runways cannot handle Zero Visibility operations).

The decision was taken keeping passenger safety in mind, which remains the foremost priority for all in the aviation ecosystem,” Scindia wrote on social media X. Amazon Sale season is here! Splurge and save now! Click here Sharing the steps taken to resolve the issue, the aviation minister said, “Delhi Airport has been asked to immediately expedite the operationalization of the CAT III enabled 4th runway (in addition to the existing CAT III enabled runway) to the satisfaction of the DGCA, in order to get approvals." “The DGCA will issue an SOP for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise discomfort in view of flight cancellations & delays due to adverse weather,” he added.

Scindia requested travellers to bear with the authorities “during this difficult period”. Reacting to an incident of alleged assault against an IndiGo pilot on board a Delhi Goa flight on Sunday, the minister said, “Incidences of unruly behaviour amidst this are unacceptable, and will be dealt with strongly in line with the existing legal provisions.” A purported video of the incident surfaced on social media and showed Sahil Kataria, in a yellow jacket, hitting the pilot as he was making the announcement inside the aircraft.

In a statement, IndiGo Airlines said Katariya "assaulted" the co pilot and that the matter had been referred to an independent internal committee for the inclusion of the passenger on the "no fly list". In a video clip, other crew members could be seen shouting at him after Sahil Kataria hit the pilot.

In another video clip, Sahil Kataria is seen being taken out of the aircraft by security personnel even as he apologised for his conduct. Sahil Kataria was then taken to a police station and later arrested. Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Stay informed on Budget 2024 and , Business News along with Gold Rates Today , and India News Updates other related updates on Hindustan Times Website and APPs SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Share Via Copy Link ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk.

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