New Delhi May 13 (IANS) More than 70 incoming flights were diverted from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here on Sunday evening following a powerful dust storm and rain officials said.
An IGIA official said the diversions took place between 4.15 p.m. and 9 p.m.
"Till 9 p.m. more than 70 flights have been diverted and a few outbound flights have been delayed due to the ongoing weather condition " the official told IANS.
According to the official several inbound flights to Delhi were diverted to Amritsar Lucknow Jaipur Ahmedabad Jammu and Dehradun.
The official cited poor visibility and a unique micro-weather phenomenon of "Windshear" -- gusty directionless winds -- for the disruption. The weather type is considered to be a safety risk for aviation operations.
The airport operations were hit after a dust storm hit the capital and its neighbouring areas with wind speeds of up to 70 km per hour. It seriously disrupted road traffic and Metro services.
--IANS
rv-vn/bg
