Fog Disrupts Flights: Why Low Visibility Grounds Planes Despite Clear Skies

• Dense fog in North India is causing widespread flight delays and cancellations, affecting major airports like Delhi.
• Airlines (Air India, IndiGo) and Delhi Airport issued advisories, urging passengers to check flight status due to fog.
• Flights are grounded not just due to air traffic, but critical safety factors related to visibility on the ground.
• Low visibility (often below 600m) makes taxiing, takeoff, and landing dangerous as pilots cannot clearly see runways, markings, or other aircraft.
• Strict minimum visibility standards (e.g., 550m for manual landing) must be met for safe operations; failure leads to diversions or cancellations, prioritizing passenger safety.

Why It Matters: Flight cancellations due to fog prioritize passenger safety, as low visibility makes ground operations dangerous.