For Thailand national David Kusolthamarat, it was a waiting game. With a ready grin, though. The thick fog in the airport area on Monday morning meant his one-hour flight to Chandigarh was converted into a six-hour affair. The MNC employee had to attend a meeting in Chandigarh. On reaching the airport at 11 am for his 1-pm flight, Kusolthamarat was told at the last moment that his flight stood cancelled.

As consolation, Jet Airways offered two options: a full refund, or a trip to Chandigarh in their coach bus. But it was not exactly the delay that troubled Kusolthamarat. What irked were the facilities, and the babudom at IGI. “They (officials) can’t check weather, so it’s okay. But it is not really the best airport in the world, or those in my country. You don’t have a choice, really.”

DELAYS

Spicejet: Nil

Jetlite: 7 delayed, 3 cancelled

Go Air: 1 delayed, 1 cancelled

Jet Airways: 20 delayed, 1 cancelled

Indian Airlines: 30 delayed

Kingfisher: 17 delayed

Air Deccan: 10 delayed for over 4 hrs, 14 cancelled (Airlines’ figures)

‘Have wheelchairs at the airport at least’
At the newly constructed fog cabin, Laxmi Moolwani, 65, sat nursing her fractured leg. She had reached the airport around 11 am for her Jetlite flight to Pune at noon. “I had an appointment with a Pune doctor for my leg. But I was told the flight has been delayed — they gave me no specific information.”

Her daughter-in-law, meanwhile, kept shuttling between the Jetlite counters and Moolwani’s chair. At noon, they were told that the flight that was to go to Pune would land in Delhi at 3 pm. More information an hour later: the flight stood cancelled.

“They should have at least kept wheelchairs at the airport,” Moolwani said, getting ready to go home. “I have to either go out to the paid toilet or go inside the departure lounge; and both are too far off for me to limp and reach.”