Fog Disrupts Surat Airport Operations, Diverts One Flight and Delays Three

Surat : Thick fog blanketed Surat early Tuesday morning, causing significant disruptions to flight operations at the Surat airport. Visibility dropped below 100 meters, rendering the airport’s Instrument Landing System (ILS) inoperable for a period of one and a half hours.

The dense fog impacted incoming flights, forcing an IndiGo flight from Delhi to divert to Ahmedabad. The diverted flight eventually landed in Surat after a delay of approximately two and a half hours. Additionally, two Air India flights, one to Bangalore and another to Hyderabad, along with an IndiGo flight to Hyderabad, faced delays of one to one and a half hours.

Limited Visibility Hinders Landing Operations

According to Surat Airport officials, the runway is equipped with an ILS capable of guiding aircraft landings in visibility as low as 800 meters. However, the  unprecedented fog cover, with visibility dropping below 100 meters, severely hampered operations. Flight disruptions began at 7:00 AM and continued until weather conditions improved around 8:30 AM.

The diverted and delayed flights impacted the travel plans of numerous passengers. The sudden fog also affected road conditions, with motorists forced to use headlights while driving on highways due to the low visibility.

Surat’s Unpredictable Climate

The recent weather event highlights Surat’s increasingly unpredictable climate. Residents have been surprised by the stark shifts in temperature experienced within the last week. The early morning fog this Tuesday serves as another example of this changing weather pattern.