Punjab: 4 flights diverted as dense fog disrupts ops at Amritsar airport
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar’s Ballowal Saunkhri sees 4.4° Celsius, remains coldest in Punjab; In Haryana, Gurugram was the coldest place with a low of 4.9° Celsius
The city witnessed disruptions in the air traffic due to the extremely dense fog on Saturday morning, with visibility dropping below 50 metres at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport here. Airport director Bhupendra Singh said one international flight and three domestic flights were diverted due to dense fog. No aircraft flew from midnight to 11.30 am from the airport. As per the director, the operation became normal after 11.30 am.
An Air India Express flight, scheduled to arrive at 1 am from Dubai, was diverted to Delhi due to poor visibility. Similarly, an Air India flight from Mumbai was diverted to Jaipur which eventually returned to Mumbai.
Two incoming flights from Delhi, operated by Air India and IndiGo, were unable to land in Amritsar and returned to Delhi. These aircraft were expected to land shortly after weather conditions improve, officials aware of the details said.
However, a Qatar Airways flight from Doha landed at its scheduled time of 2.40 am. Similarly, an IndiGo flight from Pune also landed safely at the Amritsar airport.
Although the incoming flight from Doha landed successfully using the CAT III-B system, zero visibility conditions prevented the return flight from departing. The aircraft remains grounded at Amritsar airport.
Meanwhile, passengers on the Amritsar-bound Air India flight that took off from Mumbai were seen in a video making hue and cry after it landed at the Jaipur airport and was to be taken back to Mumbai.
Earlier in the day, IndiGo issued a travel advisory, stating that airports in Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ranchi were affected by fluctuating visibility, leading to delays and changes in flight schedules.
Punjab, Haryana reel under intense cold
Punjab and Haryana continued reeling under intense cold as dense fog enveloped many areas on Saturday. Ballowal Saunkhri in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district was the coldest place in Punjab, recording a low of 4.4° Celsius, according to a report of the local meteorological department.
Amritsar recorded 5.1°C, two degrees above normal. Ludhiana shivered at 4.6°C while Patiala’s minimum was 7°C. Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur recorded their respective lows of 5.4, 6, 4.9 and 5.8 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, recorded a minimum of 6.9°C.
In Haryana, Gurugram was the coldest place with a low of 4.9°C. The minimum temperature was 9.3°C in Ambala, 5°C in Hisar and 8°C in Karnal. Narnaul, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Sirsa registered minimum temperatures of 5.5, 7.2, 6.5 and 7°C, respectively. (With PTI inputs)
Dense fog severely disrupted air traffic at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Saturday, with visibility dropping below 50 meters, resulting in the diversion of one international and three domestic flights. Flights resumed normal operations after 11:30 am. The region also experienced intense cold, with temperatures in Punjab and Haryana plummeting.