4 Flights Diverted to Kolkata Due to Heavy Fog and Poor Visibility in Ranchi

Ranchi: A sudden and dramatic shift in weather conditions wreaked havoc on air traffic operations in the capital city on Saturday morning. Thick fog and a severe drop in visibility around the Birsa Munda Airport forced air traffic controllers to suspend landing operations, leaving hundreds of flyers—including high-profile dignitaries—stranded.

According to official sources, the runway became obscured by a heavy blanket of fog early in the day. Acting on strict directives from the Air Traffic Control (ATC), airport administration diverted four major inbound commercial flights to Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport after aircraft hovered over the city waiting for the weather to clear.

Prominent Flights Affected

The disruptions hit schedules from multiple metro sectors. The affected flights include:

• IndiGo IGO7561:En route from Kolkata to Ranchi, forced to turn around and head back to its origin.
• IndiGo IGO646J:Inbound from New Delhi.
• Air India Express AXB1239:Operating from Bengaluru.
• Air India Express AXB1046:Inbound from New Delhi.

Among the hundreds of passengers caught up in the airborne logjam was Ranchi Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Seth, who was returning from New Delhi. His flight was among those safely diverted to Kolkata, where passengers remained grounded awaiting further clearance.

Advisory Issued to Commuters

With the weather remaining volatile across the South Chotanagpur division, airport authorities indicated that flight operations can only return to normalcy once the runway visual range (RVR) improves to meet standard safety guidelines.

“Passenger safety is our absolute priority. Operations will resume systematically as soon as visibility stabilizes,” a senior airport official stated.

In light of the ongoing disruptions, the airport management has issued an advisory urging all travellers to check their current flight status via official airline help desks or web portals before leaving for the terminal. Meanwhile, the inclement weather has also impacted local utilities; reports indicate localized power outages in parts of the city, including Doranda, where uprooted trees damaged overhead electricity cables.