Delhi airport operator pauses runway upgrade after flight delays invite criticism

The operator of Delhi International Airport, one of the world's busiest airports, has paused works to upgrade one of its runways after passengers criticised lengthy flight delays, throwing the spotlight on increasing air traffic congestion in major cities in India. Data from Flightradar24 showed about 400 arrivals and 500 departures were delayed on Sunday - about 60% and 76% of total flights, respectively - which Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said was in part due to adverse wind patterns. DIAL, which is majority owned by GMR Airports, had shut one of its runways earlier this month to upgrade a system that helps aircraft land safely in low-visibility conditions. The airport has four runways in total. DIAL will now resume operations on the runway in the first week of May after postponing remaining upgrade activities "for a month or so," it said in a post on X early on Monday. The upgrade works had come ahead of the busy summer travel season in India. Passengers on social media complained of flights being delayed for hours on Sunday, both in the ground and in the air, raising concerns about stress on pilots. India's civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday chaired a meeting attended by government, airport and airline officials to address challenges being faced by Delhi International Airport, according to a government statement.<br/>