NEW DELHI: A severe dust storm that swept through Delhi and parts of the NCR on Friday evening brought flight operations at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to a near standstill, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for hours and triggering a wave of complaints on social media over airline mismanagement.
According to airport sources, from Friday evening till Saturday morning, over 50 domestic flights operating from Indira Gandhi International Airport were delayed, around 25 flights were diverted, and seven were cancelled due to the dust storm.
The weather disturbance — the second dust storm to hit the city in two days — also led to the injury of four people, officials confirmed.
Passengers took to social media to vent their anger, with many sharing visuals of overcrowded boarding gates and alleging mistreatment by airline staff.
One user posted on X, tagging the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India, saying, “@airindia @MoCA_GoI @JM_Scindia Most mismanaged, misinformed world class international airport, New Delhi. #INDIRAGandhi.. worse than bus stand.”
Air India replied: “Dear Mr. Lal, we hear you. However, kindly know that the flights are affected due to adverse effect of bad weather. Please be assured that our staff is trying to the best of their abilities to assist all passengers.”
Another frustrated flyer shared a video captioned: “Passengers treated worse than cattles.”
IndiGo too faced the heat as multiple passengers complained about constant rescheduling of flights. One user posted:
“@IndiGo6E the 6E 2198, indigo flight from Kolkata to Delhi got rescheduled 6 times from evening. @IndiGo6E are you taking the passengers for granted?? People are already 6hrs late for this, are you going to refund the amount now??”
IndiGo responded:
“Further, the estimated departure time is 03:15 hours, as of now. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and request you to kindly reach out to our on-ground team for any immediate assistance and up-to-date information.”
But that wasn’t the end of it. The same user later added:
“Still the @IndiGo6E representative is saying the flight will start around 3:50am. 8th time it got rescheduled. @IndiGo6E could you please let us know when it will start actually?? #fraudindigo”
IndiGo eventually replied: “Hi, we regret the inconvenience caused to you. As checked the flight has already departed at 4:00 hrs. We hope to serve you better in the future.”
Sources at the airport confirmed that there was a sudden spike in crowding at boarding gates late Friday night and early Saturday due to diverted and delayed flights landing at the same time.
“After the dust storm, many flights were diverted and cancelled, and this caused inconvenience to passengers waiting for their flights at Delhi airport. The diverted flight took time to reach Delhi, and this led to rush at the airport,” said a senior official.
Another major complaint came from Dr HY Desai, a passenger on Air India flight AI 2512. In a long post on X, Desai wrote, “The flight AI 2512, which was scheduled at 19.30 hr on 11-04-2025, kept on delaying hour by hour. All passengers were held hostage by Air India the whole night at Delhi Airport without giving any clarity on the delay.”
“They didn’t have the courtesy to serve the basic needs, viz water and food, to the passengers consisting of infants, children, pregnant women, and patients unless agitated. The AI ground staff were cruel in treating the passengers. When the complaint was raised before the CISF, they too were soft and protective with Air India staff by neglecting, ignoring, and harassing the passengers. Don’t know how DGCA gives justice to the passengers of AI 2512, which has not yet been taken off from Delhi airport at 06.53 hrs on 12-04-2025.”
Another passenger, Vipul Singh, shared a video showing chaos at the terminal and wrote, “Ultra mismanagement and stampede-like situation at Terminal 3, New Delhi Airport due to poor mismanagement by airport management.”
Senior officers from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airport authorities were deployed on-site to monitor the situation and address passenger grievances, officials said. However, several passengers claimed the response was insufficient and uncoordinated.
One user on X expressed outrage, stating, “Shocked by Air India staff Krishna Kant Sharma referring to passengers’ valid concerns as ‘Bhandara’ during delayed boarding of AI 2705 (Delhi to Kolkata) on April 12, 2025. This is no way to treat paying customers. @airindia @DGCAIndia — we deserve accountability and respect.”
Another passenger highlighted the lack of updates for flight AI 2725, saying, “Flight AI2725 was supposed to depart at 8:00 am on April 12, but there’s still no update — neither on the display nor from any Air India crew. What kind of service are you providing?”
Similarly, a user questioned the delay of flight AI 2651, noting, “@airindia, what the hell is going on? AI 2651 was scheduled to depart at 8:00 am, and we’re still waiting for the gate announcement. What are we supposed to do? Who’ll be responsible if there’s any delay?”
The situation at Terminal 3 was described as chaotic. One user posted, “There is total chaos at Terminal 3. @airindia, please at least provide updates on flights. The boards are not getting updated. There is no Air India staff to help or provide any information. @DelhiAirport @DelhiAirportGMR.”
Another added, “Chaos at Delhi Airport: Nearly all Air India flights delayed. Poor staffing, no communication. @MpRammohannaidu @MoCA_GoI.”
Dust storm, rain hit Delhi-NCR: Trees uprooted, power disrupted
A strong dust storm accompanied by gusty winds and evening showers swept through Delhi-NCR on Friday, leading to widespread disruptions. Several trees were uprooted across the region, causing traffic jams and power outages.
The sudden weather shift led to a significant dip in temperature. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature at Palam plummeted by 10°C, while Safdarjung saw a 7°C drop. The IMD recorded wind speeds of up to 74 kmph at IGI Airport, 70 kmph at Pragati Maidan, and 69 kmph at Lodhi Road. Other areas like Najafgarh and Safdarjung reported gusts between 37 and 56 kmph.
Authorities were flooded with distress calls about fallen trees. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) received eight complaints from areas including Connaught Place, Jor Bagh, Patel Marg, and Sardar Patel Marg. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reported four such incidents from New Delhi, Kalkaji, and Shahdara between 6 pm and 8 pm. The Public Works Department (PWD) received 10 complaints, while the fire department responded to two calls related to tree falls.
An electric pole collapsed at ITO, and thunderstorms caused power outages in multiple parts of the capital, primarily due to trees and branches falling on overhead power lines.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) confirmed that areas like Narela, Bawana, Badli, and Mangolpuri faced localised power supply issues. Disruptions were also observed in both high-tension and low-tension electricity networks.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for the region, urging residents to stay indoors, secure doors and windows, and avoid unnecessary travel.
