NEW DELHI: Passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Raipur to Delhi experienced a tense moment on Sunday evening as the aircraft was forced to abort its landing due to a sudden dust storm and strong winds over the capital.Flight 6E 6313 was minutes away from touchdown at Indira Gandhi International Airport when the pilot announced wind speeds of up to 80 km/h, prompting a go-around for safety. The plane circled the skies for a while before finally landing safely after weather conditions improved, ANI reported.The pilot announced that the wind speed was up to 80 km/hrs. With the announcement, he discontinued the approach for Delhi airport and climbed back till the weather cleared.The incident occurred as parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) were hit by a dust storm followed by light rain, shortly after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast thunderstorms and gusty winds. The IMD said wind speeds were expected to reach 50 km/h due to an east-southeastward moving cloud cluster.
The weather led to widespread disruption at Delhi airport, with four flights diverted, one each to Chandigarh and Amritsar, and two to Jaipur, between 5 and 5.30 pm, according to a PTI source. Flightradar24.com reported that over 350 flights were delayed through the evening, making it one of the busiest yet most chaotic periods at IGI Airport, India’s busiest aviation hub.The sudden weather shift highlights the vulnerability of air traffic operations to changing climate patterns, especially during the pre-monsoon season in North India.
