Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s social media outburst over a delayed and diverted flight led to a clarification from Delhi Airport authorities on Sunday.
The incident, which saw Abdullah’s IndiGo flight from Jammu to Delhi being rerouted to Jaipur before eventually landing in the national capital in the early hours of Sunday, was attributed to ongoing infrastructure upgrades and unseasonal wind patterns.
Clearly frustrated, Abdullah had taken to X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday night to share his ordeal. “Delhi airport is a bloody s*** show (excuse my French but I'm in no mood to be polite). Three hours in the air after we left Jammu, we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I've no idea what time we will leave from here,” he wrote at 1:08 am, also posting a selfie standing on the aircraft stairs in Jaipur.
The flight finally departed Jaipur around 2:00 am and landed in Delhi shortly after 3:00 am. “In case anyone is wondering, I got to Delhi just after 3:00 AM,” the former J&K CM wrote in a follow-up post.
Responding to his remarks, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a detailed explanation later on Sunday morning, refuting mismanagement claims and citing technical and environmental reasons for the diversion.
“Dear Mr. Abdullah, as you may be aware, we've issued several advisories regarding the unseasonal changing wind patterns in Delhi. Runway 10/28 has been closed for ILS upgradation since 8th April, following consultation with all stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns,” the airport posted on X.
DIAL further stated that a shift toward easterly winds combined with the use of converging runways for arrivals had led to temporary capacity constraints. “These conditions at times result in flight diversions to ensure passenger safety. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” it added.
PTI sources within IndiGo also cited congestion at the Delhi airport as the reason behind the flight’s diversion.
Delhi Airport has been undergoing major infrastructural upgrades in recent weeks, particularly involving runway 10/28, which has been shut since April 8 for Instrument Landing System enhancement. This, paired with changing wind directions, has caused considerable strain on flight operations.
(With inputs from Agencies)
The incident, which saw Abdullah’s IndiGo flight from Jammu to Delhi being rerouted to Jaipur before eventually landing in the national capital in the early hours of Sunday, was attributed to ongoing infrastructure upgrades and unseasonal wind patterns.
Clearly frustrated, Abdullah had taken to X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday night to share his ordeal. “Delhi airport is a bloody s*** show (excuse my French but I'm in no mood to be polite). Three hours in the air after we left Jammu, we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I've no idea what time we will leave from here,” he wrote at 1:08 am, also posting a selfie standing on the aircraft stairs in Jaipur.
Dear Mr. Abdullah, as you may be aware, we've issued several advisories regarding the unseasonal changing wind patterns in Delhi. Runway 10/28 has been closed for ILS upgradation since 8th April, following consultation with all stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns.
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) April 20, 2025
The flight finally departed Jaipur around 2:00 am and landed in Delhi shortly after 3:00 am. “In case anyone is wondering, I got to Delhi just after 3:00 AM,” the former J&K CM wrote in a follow-up post.
Responding to his remarks, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued a detailed explanation later on Sunday morning, refuting mismanagement claims and citing technical and environmental reasons for the diversion.
“Dear Mr. Abdullah, as you may be aware, we've issued several advisories regarding the unseasonal changing wind patterns in Delhi. Runway 10/28 has been closed for ILS upgradation since 8th April, following consultation with all stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns,” the airport posted on X.
DIAL further stated that a shift toward easterly winds combined with the use of converging runways for arrivals had led to temporary capacity constraints. “These conditions at times result in flight diversions to ensure passenger safety. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” it added.
PTI sources within IndiGo also cited congestion at the Delhi airport as the reason behind the flight’s diversion.
Delhi Airport has been undergoing major infrastructural upgrades in recent weeks, particularly involving runway 10/28, which has been shut since April 8 for Instrument Landing System enhancement. This, paired with changing wind directions, has caused considerable strain on flight operations.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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