Omar Abdullah lashes out at Delhi airport after his flight diverted to Jaipur

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah criticised Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport after his flight to the national capital was diverted to Jaipur on Saturday night.

Sharing his selfie from Jaipur Airport on Saturday night, Abdullah, in a post on X, said, “Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French, but I’m in no mood to be polite). 3 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.”

Later, in another post, he said, “In case anyone is wondering, I got to Delhi just after 3:00 AM.”

Delhi Airport responded with a statement on X, attributing the delays to changing wind patterns. “Air traffic flow management measures for flight arrivals will be implemented today to ensure safe operations, in accordance with international and regulatory protocols, keeping passenger safety as the highest priority.” The statement also noted that “all other operations across terminals and three runways at Delhi Airport continue to function normally,” and advised passengers to stay in touch with their airlines for updates.

Bad weather conditions in Srinagar affected flight operations, leading to delays at Jammu Airport. Multiple flights were either cancelled or delayed, and airlines issued advisories to passengers.

IndiGo posted: “Weather conditions in Srinagar are impacting flight operations. We understand this may cause inconvenience and truly appreciate your patience. Please stay updated on your flight status in real time.” It added, “If your flight is impacted, you can explore flexible rebooking options or claim a refund easily via our website. Our teams are actively monitoring the situation and will have smooth operations back on track as soon as the weather plays nice.”

SpiceJet said, “Due to bad weather in Srinagar (SXR), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may get affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.”

At a meeting of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U)’s Sanjay Jha, members from various political parties questioned officials from the civil aviation ministry over flight delays and disruptions at Delhi Airport. MPs also cited personal experiences of delayed flights to highlight ongoing issues.

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, which has three terminals (T1, T2, and T3) and four runways, has temporarily shut Terminal 2 and one runway (RW 10/28) for maintenance. T2 was closed on April 15, and its flights have been shifted to Terminal 1. HT also reported on Sunday that the civil aviation ministry is likely to direct the airport to pause maintenance work on one of the runways, which has been identified as a key factor in the delays.