CHENNAI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued an appeal to residents in neighbourhoods surrounding the airport to refrain from burning waste, particularly plastic and old tires, during the upcoming Bhogi festival.
This traditional practice, coupled with early morning fog, creates dense smog that severely hampers runway visibility, leading to significant flight disruptions and passenger inconvenience.
Bhogi (January 14), celebrated a day before Pongal, traditionally involves the disposal and burning of old household items. In areas adjacent to the airport— including Meenambakkam, Gowl Bazaar, Pozhichalur, Pammal, Anagaputhur, Thoraipakkam, Manapakkam and Nandambakkam — this practice results in intense smoke clouds that envelop the runway area during early morning hours. This issue has plagued flight operations for years.
The most severe disruption occurred in 2018, when 118 flights (73 departures and 45 arrivals) were affected. While concerted efforts have reduced the impact over time, the problem persists. In 2024, around 51 flights (27 arrivals and 24 departures) were disrupted due to the smog and fog combination.
Last year, the AAI took pre-emptive action and rescheduled around 30 flights (arrival and departure) from 4-8 am, the peak smog period, and notified passengers in advance via SMS alerts. This successfully minimised disruptions last year.
Building on that success, the AAI has launched a fresh awareness campaign this year through local civic bodies. They are urging the public, especially in the airport vicinity, to celebrate a pollution-free Bhogi by completely avoiding the burning of plastic waste, tires, and other high-smoke generating materials.
“The thick, black smoke from these fires mixes with the dense morning fog, making the runway virtually invisible,” stated an AAI official. “This not only disrupts flight services but also causes great hardship to passengers. We request the full cooperation of all residents to ensure flight operations continue smoothly and safely.”