Dense fog disrupts flight operations at Bhubaneswar airport; services hit for third day

Flight operations at Bhubaneswar airport were severely disrupted on Saturday due to dense fog, with visibility dropping to zero in several parts of the city. Not a single flight departed from the airport during the morning hours, while multiple inbound flights were either delayed or diverted, officials said.

According to the Bhubaneswar airport director, three flights bound for Odisha's capital were diverted to other cities owing to poor visibility conditions. The affected flights were rerouted to Ranchi, Kolkata and Chennai. Airport operations have been impacted continuously for the past three days as dense fog conditions persist across the region.

Zero Visibility Recorded

Bhubaneswar witnessed zero visibility on Saturday morning, particularly in areas such as the airport, AG Square, Rajmahal and the Governor House vicinity. Reports indicated that such complete loss of visibility was recorded for the first time this winter season. While similar fog conditions were reported in the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar region earlier this week, visibility had not dropped to zero at that time.

The dense fog persisted from around 5:30 am to 8:30 am, leading to widespread flight delays and diversions. Several flights were reportedly delayed by up to two hours, while some services were cancelled altogether due to safety concerns.

Passengers Face Delays And Missed Connections

Passengers at the airport expressed inconvenience due to the prolonged disruption. One traveller said, “I had to miss my connecting flight due to dense fog. The flight from Bhubaneswar was delayed, and Air India officials informed us that the delay was because of fog.”

Also Read: Odisha wakes up to dense fog; to continue for next four days

Fog Alert Continues Across Odisha

As per reports, 11 districts that were issued a yellow warning, experienced dense fog affecting daily life and transportation. The foggy conditions are expected to persist across coastal, southern and other parts of Odisha until January 6. Meanwhile, minimum temperature during nighttime is also likely to dip further over the next few days, adding to the prevailing cold wave conditions across the state.