New Delhi:

Flight 6E 6313 was minutes away from touchdown when the pilot announced wind speeds of up to 80 km/h. The pilot halted the landing approach and climbed back to a higher altitude until the weather improved. After circling the skies for a while, the flight landed safely at 5.43pm, later than its scheduled arrival of 5.05pm.

An IndiGo flight from Raipur to Delhi experienced severe turbulence and was forced to abort its landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday evening due to a dust storm and strong winds.

Video shows passengers’ anxious reactions

The incident coincided with a spell of light rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds sweeping across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the sudden weather change to a combination of a Western Disturbance, cyclonic circulations over North Pakistan and Haryana, and moisture flow from the Arabian Sea. Gusts of up to 76 km/h were recorded in parts of the city, including Pragati Maidan and Palam, near the airport.

A video from inside the cabin captured passengers’ anxious reactions as the plane shook violently during the turbulence. The pilot assured passengers of their safety while explaining the decision to halt the landing approach until conditions improved.

Major disruption at Delhi airport

The dust storm and high winds caused major disruption at Delhi airport, forcing the diversion of at least four incoming flights between 5pm and 5.30pm. Flights from Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Amritsar were among those rerouted to different airports.

The Delhi Airport authorities issued an advisory urging passengers to check with their airlines for the latest flight updates and assured that ground teams were working diligently to manage the situation efficiently.

The incident comes after another incident involving an IndiGo flight to Srinagar that encountered severe turbulence due to extreme weather conditions shortly after takeoff.

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Strong winds, rain in hills & plains, snowfall at higher peaks