As many as 27 flights scheduled for arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here this evening were diverted to other nearby airports due to the bad weather in the national capital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flight was also tonight diverted to Jaipur after it could not land in the national capital due to bad weather. Modi was on his way back from Karnataka after addressing a public meeting in Devangere.
Squalls and dust storms accompanied with light rains lashed the national capital this evening.
Light rains hit the capital city at around 9 PM. A dust storm blowing at a speed of 92 km per hour hit Palam observatory, while it hit Safdarjung at a speed of 52 km per hour, MeT said.
The flights were diverted to airports such as Luknow and Jaipur, among others, airport sources said.
"Some 27 flights have been diverted to other airports due to bad weather," an airport official said tonight.
Out of the 27 flights diverted, six were of Air India, Air India sources said.
"Due to bad weather over @Delhi_Airport all departures are put on hold. #AI539 MAA (Chennai)-DEL diverted to #LKO & #AI115 ATQ (Amritsar)-DEL diverted to #JAI," national carrier Air India said in a tweet.
On May 23 more than 20 flights to the national capital were diverted and many were delayed due to adverse weather conditions as a dust storm accompanied by light rains had swept Delhi on that day.
On the next day (May 24) airlines had urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to help put in place a mechanism for providing weather updates "well in advance", after more than two dozen flights to the national capital were diverted on Monday due to inclement weather conditions.
A host of issues, including about weather forecast system, were discussed during a meeting of executives from domestic airlines and airport operators with Ministry officials.
Sources said the airlines sought the Ministry's help to have a system at the major airports whereby they can get information about "weather conditions well in advance". Getting an update at the earliest would help in minimising disruptions to flight schedules, they added.
