Delhi-NCR: Dense Fog Disrupts Flights, 69 Trains Running Late; Cold Wave, Poor AQI Persists
Foggy mornings and biting cold slowed transport movement in the national capital, while pollution levels remained elevated, despite slight improvement.
Published : January 5, 2026 at 10:37 AM IST
New Delhi: Flight and train services across North India were hit on Monday as dense fog and severe cold reduced visibility, disrupting rail traffic and air operations.
Several flights were cancelled or delayed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, while long-distance trains heading to the national capital ran hours behind schedule.
Flights Hit By Fog
Operations ground to a halt in the early hours as dangerously poor visibility gripped the airport, stranding passengers and causing significant chaos.
Cancelled flights
- SpiceJet: Varanasi (SG 8718), Gorakhpur (SG 937), Dharamshala (SG 2939), Kochi (SG 685)
- Air India Express: Delhi-Kolkata (IX 5645)
- IndiGo: Delhi-Chennai (6E 6828)
Delayed flights
SpiceJet services to Port Blair (SG 263), Srinagar (SG 661), Leh (SG 123) and Mumbai (SG 664) were among those operating behind schedule.
Trains Delayed
Northern Railway CPRO Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay revealed a staggering 69 trains reached Delhi late on Monday. "In these treacherous, low-visibility conditions, loco pilots must slash their speed for safety, leading to relentless delays," he stated.
Trains Running Late At New Delhi Station
- Karnataka Superfast (12627): 3h 17m
- Hazur Sahib Nanded-Sri Ganganagar (12439): 3h 10m
- Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani (12423): 2h 39m
- Karnataka Sampark Kranti (22685): 2h 22m
- Sachkhand Express (12715): 2h 01m
- Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani (12453): 1h 56m
- Intercity Express (14315): 1h 51m
- Kerala Superfast (12625): 1h 50m
- Shiv Ganga Superfast (12559): 1h 40m
- Sri Ganganagar-Tilak Bridge (14727): 1h 25m
- Banaras-New Delhi Superfast (12581): 1h 19m
- Sachkhand Express (12716): 1h 10m
Hazrat Nizamuddin
- Secunderabad-Nizamuddin Duronto (12285): 4h 25m
- Karnataka Sampark Kranti (12649): 3h 39m
- Chennai Central-Nizamuddin (12433): 3h 15m
- Mumbai Central-Nizamuddin (12951): 2h 19m
- Mangala Lakshadweep Superfast (12617): 2h 11m
- Maharashtra Sampark Kranti (12907): 1h 54m
- August Kranti Rajdhani (12953): 1h 35m
- Gita Jayanti Express (11841): 1h 33m
- Mahakaushal Express (12189): 1h 28m
- Golden Temple Mail (12903): 1h 04m
Anand Vihar Terminal
- Banaras-Anand Vihar Garib Rath (22541): 1h 19m late; several others delayed by under an hour.
Weather
A relentless cold wave grips Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as dense fog and minimal sunlight cripple daily routines and add to the region’s distress.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said shallow to dense fog is likely to persist over the next couple of days, though skies are expected to remain mostly clear later in the day. Maximum temperatures in the capital are likely to hover between 17-19°C, while minimum temperatures may range from 7-9°C.
Palam remained one of the coldest pockets, recording lower minimum temperatures than Safdarjung. High humidity levels in the early hours further intensified the chill, making mornings particularly uncomfortable.
Biting cold-wave conditions are set to intensify over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan, while the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand brace for sudden rain or snowfall on January 5 and 6.
AQI
Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi remained in the ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ category on Monday morning, despite a marginal improvement over the past two days.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the capital’s average AQI stood around 260-263 during the morning hours. Several areas, such as Akshardham and ITO, recorded AQI levels in the ‘Poor’ range, while pollution hotspots, including Anand Vihar, Chandni Chowk, Ashok Vihar and Jahangirpuri, slipped into the ‘Very Poor’ category, with AQI readings crossing 300.
Neighbouring cities in the NCR also saw elevated pollution levels, with Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram remaining in the ‘Poor’ bracket. While Stage-III restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have been lifted, authorities have urged strict compliance with GRAP-I and II measures and said air quality will continue to be closely monitored to prevent further deterioration.
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