United Airlines resumes service to New Delhi after flights grounded by pollution

United Airlines announced Monday that it has resumed service between Newark, New Jersey and New Delhi after toxic smog grounded the carrier earlier in the day. The Indian capital’s air quality, notoriously poor, was especially bad this week — 10 times worse than Beijing, the world’s most polluted air. Some areas of New Delhi were polluted up to 40 times the level the WHO deems safe. United compared the smog to environmental disasters such as hurricanes and volcanoes. Although smog has occasionally prompted airlines to ground planes in the past, it’s typically due to the danger it presents with respect to visibility, as opposed to a health hazard. After cancelling the flights, they said they would allow passengers to change flights free of charge, or help them find seats on other carriers. <br/>