Passengers clash with ground staff at Delhi airport after 582 flights delayed

Flight delays at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi on Saturday night and Sunday triggered fights and arguments between passengers on one hand and airport security and ground staff on the other. At least 384 arrivals and 501 departures were delayed, according to data available from Flightradar24, as of 11.30pm on Sunday.

The delays were due to shifting wind patterns, and the closure of a runway. Videos of arguments between passengers and airport security were shared on social media platform X after an Air India flight was delayed by seven hours.

“A fight broke out between Air India employees and angry passengers over a several-hour delay of a Delhi-Mumbai flight. Frustrated passengers confronted ground staff, leading to heated arguments and scuffles,” a passenger shared on X.

“Whether you’re travelling First/Business/Premium or Economy, the grimy inefficiency is the same at the time of embarkation, or otherwise. This is Terminal 3 at the Delhi airport on a Sunday morn: the air conditioning has failed, no adequate seating around and your bucks don’t matter,” said politician Yusuf A Ahmad Ansari on X while sharing a video of an overcrowded lounge area.

An airport official said that the chaos was a result of delays in landing of several flights due to change in wind patterns and easterly winds. “Of the four runways of the Delhi airport, runway 10/28 has been closed for upgradation. This, in addition to the change in wind pattern, caused air traffic congestion, leading to delays in both departure and arrivals,” the official said.

Flight operations at the airport have been severely disrupted over the past week due to a variety of factors. Since the runway closure, Delhi has been handling approximately 200 fewer flights daily. Adverse weather events compounded the problems. On April 12, 498 flights were delayed due to an intense thunderstorm. Problems with baggage processing and conveyor belts also led to some flights getting delayed at Terminal 1 (T1) last Tuesday, which reopened 10 months after its canopy collapsed due to a heavy downpour that left one dead.

Delhi airport issued an advisory at 6.40 am on Sunday, saying, “Due to shifting wind pattern in the vicinity of the airport, certain airline operations may experience delays. Air traffic flow management measures for Flight Arrivals will be implemented from 0830 hours IST till 1230 hours IST today by ATC authorities to ensure safe operations…Passengers are advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates on flight schedules.”

However, passengers complained about delays in baggage claim, unavailability of proper information and mismanagement throughout the day as air traffic congestion continued.

A Goa-bound couple travelling from Delhi complained about their baggage never arriving. The passenger, with handle @roshan_rx, posted on X, “My wife and I were traveling to Goa for our honeymoon on Flight 6E 2265 (from Delhi to Goa) on 20th April 2025...and checked in luggage at Delhi Airport, arriving Goa, we were informed that baggage not arrived.”

“Despite repeated inquiries at the Goa airport, we were told that the luggage was not sent on the flight from Delhi. This caused us extreme inconvenience, as we had no change of clothes or essential items with us,” he added.

Vinamra Longani, head of business, India, SGI Aviation, posted on X at 1.26am on Sunday, “The closure of runway 10/28 at Delhi airport continues to wreck havoc on flight operations to/ from the busiest airport in India. Its 0125 local and every aircraft wanting to get in is having to circle for a prolonged period of time before landing.”

Another passenger wrote, “Delhi Airport is literally in shambles due to Runway 28 closure and also easterlies blocking the use or other runways for arrivals. Almost every other domestic flight is delayed.”

A person familiar with airport operations, requesting anonymity, told HT, “The acceptance rate for the airport during westerlies is 42 arrivals per hour and during the easterlies it is 32 arrivals per hour. So when easterlies are impacting, there is an anticipated delay of 10 arrivals per hour already, which naturally causes congestion.”

The person cited above added that discussions are underway on whether runway 10/28, closed since April 8 for Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgradation, will be opened shortly.