From correspondents in Delhi, India, 01:03 PM IST

Thousands of air travellers were stranded for hours at the Delhi airport Friday morning as dense fog disrupted over 40 flight schedules.

The runway visibility went below the 100-metre mark at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport early morning, forcing all Delhi bound domestic flights to divert to nearby destinations.

'For nearly three hours there were no domestic arrivals at the airport. Four domestic and 16 international flights were diverted to other cities,' said an official of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

The India Meteorological Department said the capital would witness light fog on Saturday as well. On Friday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 14.9 degrees Celsius.

Poor visibility also delayed the schedule of at least 20 domestic and international outgoing flights, the officer told IANS.

However, one runway that facilitates flights to take off and land during dense fog was operational.

'There were 11 domestic departures, 12 international departures and nine international arrivals on the runway till 9 a.m.,' the official added.

But a large number of passengers were kept waiting inside a Kolkata bound Indigo flight for hours.

'The scheduled time of my flight was 5.45 a.m. but due to fog we boarded the flight one hour late. Then we were stranded on board the plane for nearly two hours,' said Abhishek Roy, a passenger.

'All my fellow passengers were pacing up and down inside the flight. It was completely frustrating!' Roy remarked.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)