Delhi-Leh flights disrupted: IGI airport issues travel advisory due to bad weather; urges passengers to check with airlines

NEW DELHI: Flight operations between Delhi and Leh were disrupted on Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions in the Ladakh region, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said in an advisory.

The airport authorities stated that they are working closely with all stakeholders to minimize inconvenience to passengers.

"Due to bad weather conditions in Leh, flight operations to the destination have been affected.

We are working closely with all the stakeholders to support passengers and minimize inconvenience," the advisory read.

Passengers have been urged to check directly with their respective airlines for the latest flight status and updates.

The disruption comes at a time when north India is reeling under one of its wettest monsoons in over a decade. At 21% above normal, the region has so far recorded its heaviest rainfall since 2013, the year of the catastrophic Kedarnath flash flood.

In August alone, north India has witnessed the highest number of ‘extremely heavy’ rain events since the India Meteorological Department (IMD) began compiling such data in 2021. Till August 25, the region had logged 21 extremely heavy rain episodes — a 50% jump from the previous highest of 14 last year. Meteorologists said this makes the ongoing monsoon one of the most destructive in recent years.

“Northwest India has seen high rainfall activity mainly because of frequent interactions between western disturbances and monsoon currents from the Bay of Bengal and, at times, from the Arabian Sea. When these currents converge over the region, it results in very heavy rainfall,” said IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.

The downpour has been particularly severe in hill states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, as well as Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh — impacting both road and air connectivity.

Data shows that while August last year had more ‘heavy’ and ‘very heavy’ rain events, it recorded far fewer ‘extremely heavy’ episodes than this year.

With a trough forming in eastern Pakistan, IMD officials warned that the intense spell is likely to continue for another couple of days. August 25 alone saw north India record 21.8mm of rainfall, four times the daily normal.

Air India cancels Leh flights

Air India also issued a travel advisory stating that the runway at Leh Airport had been closed due to adverse weather, forcing cancellation of all its scheduled flights to and from Leh on August 27.


The airline advised passengers holding affected bookings to either contact their travel agents or call its 24x7 contact centre (+91 116 932 9333 / +91 116 932 9999) to explore alternative options or cancel their tickets with a full refund.


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