Flight operations have been getting impacted and several planes are getting delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport due to high surface temperatures.
ANI quoted a senior official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation saying that safety guidelines are being followed and flights are sometimes getting delayed or have to wait for the wind speed to settle down.
During high temperatures, the air becomes thin, which affects lift required for the aircraft to take off, ANI quoted another senior official with a domestic airline as saying.
The lift is affected by the density of the surrounding air, the domestic airline senior official said, adding that the effects of hot air are experienced most during takeoff and the initial climb. Sometimes passengers may feel mid-air turbulence as a result.
“In extreme weather conditions like high temperatures and wind speeds, we proceed only after clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC),” the official said.
What’s the alternative?
The other option is to adjust operations by reducing fuel or baggage and, in certain cases, removing passengers to help aircraft operate, the official added.
An Indigo flight 6E 2521 operating from Delhi to Bagdogra was delayed on June 17 due to high ground temperatures impeding operations.
What about non-functioning AC in aircraft?
Speaking about the frequent complaints of non-functioning air conditioning in aircraft, a senior official with a domestic airline said the temperatures outside are so high that the air conditioning system of the plane is unable to cool on short-distance flights.
However, while taxiing and idling on the runway, it could cause discomfort to passengers as the temperatures in the cabin can rise due to warm temperatures outside.
New Delhi has been battling intense heat waves and soaring temperatures.
With inputs from ANI.
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Flights at Delhi airport getting delayed, know the real reason
