As if flight delays due to the fog were not bad enough, air travelers really seem to be getting the short end of the stick, as an Indian Airlines flight (IC-402) developed a technical snag and skidded a few feet off the runway after landing at the Delhi airport last night.  And it was not just the passengers of this flight that had a harrowing time but passengers of other flights also had to suffer since this incident led to the diversion of all international flights to another secondary runway leading to further delays.

The incident happened at 11 p.m. when the Kolkata-Delhi flight was approaching the Delhi airport. The aircraft developed a problem in its hydraulic pressure and although it had a safe touchdown and landing, it went a few feet off the runway after slowing down. What added to the confusion was that there was no assistance from the crew either and it was only half an hour later that the passengers were allowed to come out of the plane.

The aircraft skidded off the primary runway and its front right wheel dug into the soil leaving its rear sticking out on to the runway which led to the runway closing down for more than 3 hours. Luckily the mud was hard and baked, owing to the lack of rain in the capital; else the plane might have even tilted to one side. 

And the problems for air travelers continue, with the Indian Meteorological Department, issuing a warning that the season of dense fog was just a couple of days away.

Even on Monday the airport witnessed low visibility due to the smog in the atmosphere but it did not result in flight delays. However this will soon change once dense fog starts to envelop the city, which is usually witnessed by the first week of December and will continue till the end of January. The worst fog in recent years was in January 2003 when the airport had to be closed for a long period of time.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), on its part, has announced that it is taking measures to tackle fog-related problems this winter. These measures would include providing regular flight updates to passengers and setting up of a centralized emergency-response centre. There would also be dedicated helpline numbers to provide up-to-date information to passengers and heated Portacabins were also being erected at the airport, with provisions for food and rest rooms, where the stranded passengers could stay.

However, flight delays would continue to happen until at least 2008, by which time a new runway (CAT III B compliant) and a new interim terminal were expected to be built.