Diwali smoke disrupts 26 flights at Chennai airport; Raipur flight diverted to Bengaluru

CHENNAI: Thick smoke from Diwali firecrackers disrupted flight operations at Chennai airport on Sunday night, affecting 26 flights. Eleven arriving flights were delayed, while 15 departing flights took off late. An IndiGo flight from Raipur carrying 156 passengers was unable to land in Chennai and returned to Bengaluru.

The disruption occurred as a thick blanket of firecracker smoke engulfed the runway area, reducing visibility and prompting air traffic control officials to closely monitor aircraft movements.

According to airport sources, 11 flights arriving from Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Sri Lanka, Bangkok, Thiruvananthapuram, Singapore, Raipur, Siliguri, Tiruchy and Kuala Lumpur had to circle in the air for some time before landing. However, the IndiGo flight from Raipur, which continued to hover over Chennai, eventually returned to Bengaluru.

Similarly, 15 departing flights to destinations including Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, Pune, Tiruchy, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi were delayed.

The Airports Authority of India had anticipated possible visibility issues due to firecracker smoke and made additional arrangements at the airport's air traffic control room. Officials monitored runway visibility closely and allowed aircraft to land or take off only when the runway was clearly visible.

Although rain in Chennai during the Sunday morning restricted firecracker celebrations, residents began bursting crackers in large numbers from around 6 pm, even before the government-permitted time of 7 pm. Firecracker use continued beyond 10 pm, resulting in a sharp deterioration in air quality across the city and its suburbs.

Residential areas around Meenambakkam airport also witnessed extensive firecracker use, contributing to the smoke that engulfed the runway.

The disruption was more severe than last year. During Diwali in 2025, smoke affected 15 flights, with seven arrivals and eight departures delayed. However, no flight had to return to another airport that year.

This year, apart from the increase in the number of affected flights, the diversion of the Raipur-Chennai IndiGo flight to Bengaluru added to the inconvenience faced by passengers.