Bad Weather Forces 15 Flight Diversions at Delhi Airport, Hundreds Delayed

At least 15 flights were diverted at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday because of inclement weather, an official said. Heavy rains, thunderstorms, lightning and winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour hit the national capital, delaying scores of flights and prompting some cancellations.

Of the diverted flights, 12 were redirected to Jaipur, two to Chandigarh and one to Lucknow. Flightradar24.com data showed more than 280 services were delayed and more than 20 flights were cancelled at the airport, which normally handles more than 1,300 flight movements daily.

IndiGo said on X that bad weather in the national capital had impacted its flight schedules and that it was closely monitoring the situation. Air India also posted on X, warning that adverse weather conditions may affect flight operations to and from Delhi.

Weather-driven diversions of this scale illustrate how quickly a single storm cell over one major airport can cascade through a national network, since diverted aircraft, crews and slots all have to be reset before normal schedules resume. Airlines' public postings about monitoring the situation reflect the operational reality that thunderstorm cells force real-time rerouting decisions rather than pre-planned schedule changes.

Delhi's position as a high-volume hub means even a short spell of severe weather can push diversions to nearby airports such as Jaipur, Chandigarh and Lucknow, which then have to absorb unplanned traffic and turn aircraft around before they can return to service. This kind of disruption tends to clear once the weather system passes, but recovery time depends on how many aircraft and crews ended up out of position.

Whether flight schedules normalise quickly will depend on how fast Indira Gandhi International Airport can process the backlog of delayed and diverted aircraft once the weather clears, and whether further storm activity extends the disruption into subsequent days.