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Heavy downpours across Delhi on Friday triggered waterlogging around Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and disrupted flight schedules, prompting IndiGo and Air India to issue travel advisories warning of delays even as the airport reported that operations remain normal.
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Thunderstorms, red alert and a crowded sky
Delhi and the wider National Capital Region saw an intense spell of rain and thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) escalating its warning for the city from an orange to a red alert for heavy rainfall. Publicly available forecasts highlighted the risk of intense showers accompanied by gusty winds and lightning across parts of the capital.([indiatoday.in](https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/delhi-rain-red-alert-issued-igi-airport-waterlogged-traffic-snarls-ytvd-2987191-2026-09-04?utm_source=openai))
The sudden downpour led to rapid waterlogging on key arterial roads and business districts, including Connaught Place and stretches around IGI Airport. Visuals and local coverage showed traffic crawling through flooded underpasses and forecourts, while commuters waded through ankle-deep water in several neighbourhoods.([hindustantimes.com](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rain-delhi-connaught-place-igi-airport-lajpat-nagar-rainfall-roads-ncr-weather-imd-red-alert-traffic-update-101788525632686.html/?utm_source=openai))
At IGI, the weather system coincided with peak afternoon movements, creating a challenging window for airlines and air traffic controllers. Reports indicate that between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm alone, at least nine flights were diverted from Delhi to alternate airports such as Jaipur, Lucknow and Ahmedabad as thunderstorms and low visibility affected arrivals.([indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-rain-red-alert-flights-diverted-airport-waterlogging-10863356/lite/?utm_source=openai))
Subsequent tallies from different outlets put the number of diversions between nine and eleven flights, reflecting updates as conditions evolved through the evening. While the figures vary slightly by report, coverage is consistent that multiple domestic services had to be rerouted and that dozens of other flights faced delays.([ndtvprofit.com](https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/heavy-rain-disrupts-delhi-airport-operations-nine-flights-diverted-over-400-delayed-12002807/?utm_source=openai))
IndiGo and Air India urge passengers to check status
With adverse weather affecting turnarounds and arrival sequences, IndiGo issued a widely shared travel advisory on X, describing how bad weather over Delhi was impacting flight schedules. The carrier recommended that passengers check real-time flight status on its website and allow extra time to reach the airport, signalling the likelihood of rolling delays through the evening.([ndtvprofit.com](https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/heavy-rain-disrupts-delhi-airport-operations-nine-flights-diverted-over-400-delayed-12002807/?utm_source=openai))
Air India released a similar advisory, cautioning that operations to and from Delhi could be affected by the deteriorating weather. Public posts encouraged travellers to verify their flight details before heading to IGI and to monitor updates closely, reflecting the knock-on effect that thunderstorms in a major hub can have on the wider network.([ndtvprofit.com](https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/heavy-rain-disrupts-delhi-airport-operations-nine-flights-diverted-over-400-delayed-12002807/?utm_source=openai))
These advisories added to a series of weather-related alerts that major carriers have issued for Delhi over recent seasons, ranging from dense winter fog to intense monsoon spells. Published coverage over the past year shows a pattern in which airlines increasingly rely on social media and app notifications to broadcast real-time disruption information to passengers.([ianslive.in](https://ianslive.in/12-flights-diverted-as-rain-in-delhi-ncr-disrupt-airports-services-airlines-issue-advisories--20260824142356?utm_source=openai))
For travellers scheduled to fly in or out of Delhi over the coming 24 hours, the latest messages from airlines suggest building in buffer time for airport transfers and remaining flexible about departure and arrival times as schedules stabilise following Friday’s backlog.
IGI Airport says infrastructure is functioning normally
Despite dramatic images of standing water outside terminal buildings, publicly available information from airport updates indicates that core airside operations at IGI have remained largely intact. Coverage of the disruption notes that waterlogging was most visible in forecourt and approach-road areas and that drainage systems were deployed to clear accumulated water after the heaviest burst of rain.([indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-rain-red-alert-flights-diverted-airport-waterlogging-10863356/?utm_source=openai))
Reports on Friday evening described the waterlogging at IGI as temporary, with the airport environment gradually returning to normal as rain intensity reduced. While taxiing and ground handling required additional caution during the worst of the storm, no long-term operational shutdown of runways or terminals was reported.([indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-rain-red-alert-flights-diverted-airport-waterlogging-10863356/lite/?utm_source=openai))
The combination of short-lived surface flooding and high aircraft movement highlights the vulnerability of large hubs to intense, localized cloudbursts. However, the available data suggests that Friday’s conditions were managed within the airport’s existing contingency framework, with diversions and extended holding patterns used to maintain safety as the weather system passed.([indiatoday.in](https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-airport-flight-diversions-nine-flights-rerouted-as-heavy-rain-and-76-kmph-squall-hit-2987208-2026-09-04?utm_source=openai))
For arriving passengers, the more visible impact was on the landside experience: longer waits for cabs, detours around submerged stretches of road and slow-moving traffic on key approach corridors linking the airport with central and south Delhi.([hindustantimes.com](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rain-delhi-connaught-place-igi-airport-lajpat-nagar-rainfall-roads-ncr-weather-imd-red-alert-traffic-update-101788525632686.html/?utm_source=openai))
What flyers should expect in the next 48 hours
IMD projections indicate that the heaviest phase of Friday’s storm has passed, but intermittent showers and thunderstorms are still possible across parts of Delhi in the short term. Forecasts referenced in local media point to lighter, scattered rain on Saturday under a yellow alert, with a further easing of conditions expected from Sunday onward.([indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-rain-red-alert-flights-diverted-airport-waterlogging-10863356/lite/?utm_source=openai))
For air travellers, this pattern typically translates into lingering congestion even after the skies begin to clear. Aircraft and crews displaced to alternate airports need to be repositioned, and rotations that began the day on time can continue to run late well into the night. Flight-tracking data cited in recent coverage of similar events in Delhi has shown that hundreds of services can experience minor to moderate delays over the course of a single disruptive weather day.([ndtvprofit.com](https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/heavy-rain-disrupts-delhi-airport-operations-nine-flights-diverted-over-400-delayed-12002807/?utm_source=openai))
Passengers scheduled to fly soon are advised, based on these patterns, to monitor airline apps and websites rather than relying on printed itineraries. Travel planners also recommend factoring in the possibility of extended security and check-in queues if multiple delayed departures converge into the same time window once restrictions ease.([economictimes.indiatimes.com](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/delhi-weather-igi-airport-witnesses-waterlogging-indigo-issues-travel-advisory-amid-imds-issues-red-alert/articleshow/133760596.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=openai))
On the ground, city agencies have highlighted the risk of renewed waterlogging in low-lying pockets during any additional bursts of rain. Travellers heading to or from IGI may benefit from allowing extra time for road travel and keeping an eye on local traffic updates, especially on routes that pass through known flood-prone stretches.([hindustantimes.com](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rain-delhi-connaught-place-igi-airport-lajpat-nagar-rainfall-roads-ncr-weather-imd-red-alert-traffic-update-101788525632686.html/?utm_source=openai))
Weather volatility keeps Delhi’s aviation on alert
Friday’s disruption adds to a series of weather-related challenges for Delhi’s aviation sector over the past year, in which both monsoon downpours and winter fog have periodically constrained capacity at IGI. Historical reports detail events where dozens to hundreds of flights faced delays, with airlines issuing repeated advisories and, in some cases, waivers or flexible rebooking options for affected passengers.([epaper.indianchronicledaily.com](https://epaper.indianchronicledaily.com/media/2026-01/ic-jan-2-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai))
As climate variability increases the likelihood of intense, localized storms, large airports like Delhi’s remain under pressure to balance infrastructure upgrades with real-time operational decision-making. Drainage improvements, surface monitoring systems and weather-linked scheduling tools are increasingly central to how hubs manage short, sharp disruptions without resorting to full suspensions of service.([indiatoday.in](https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/rain-lashes-delhi-ncr-thunderstorms-darken-skies-imd-issues-red-alert-2987032-2026-09-04?utm_source=openai))
For travellers, the practical takeaway from the latest Delhi downpour is that weather-related alerts from airlines and the airport are becoming a standard feature of the journey rather than an exception. Keeping contact details updated with carriers, enabling push notifications and checking flight status before leaving home are emerging as key habits for flying in and out of monsoon-prone cities.([ndtvprofit.com](https://www.ndtvprofit.com/india/heavy-rain-disrupts-delhi-airport-operations-nine-flights-diverted-over-400-delayed-12002807/?utm_source=openai))
While Friday’s storm created visible disruption on roads and forced airlines to divert several flights, current indications point to a swift normalization of operations at IGI, with the travel ecosystem adapting once again to the capital’s increasingly volatile skies.([indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-rain-red-alert-flights-diverted-airport-waterlogging-10863356/?utm_source=openai))
Economic Times: Delhi weather and IndiGo advisory
India Today: Delhi airport flooded after heavy rain