Bhogi bonfires disrupt Chennai airport flights amid poor visibility
Bhogi bonfires led to dense fog and poor visibility around Chennai airport early Wednesday, disrupting flight operations for several hours.
| Photo Credit:
S SATHIYASEELAN
Bhogi bonfires caused dense fog, affecting flight operations at the Chennai airport and reducing visibility for aircraft.
As a precaution, four incoming and four outgoing early morning flights were cancelled at the airport. The cancellations were flights to and from Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Coimbatore.
International delays
On international routes, five early morning flights to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, and Kuwait were rescheduled, Chennai Airport announced.
On Bhogi, the first day of the four-day Sankranti festival, a bonfire is a custom in which people clean their homes by burning old items like mats and clothes. However, burning tyres produces dense black smoke that disrupts visibility, sources said.
The Airport Authority of India appealed to people living near the airport to refrain from burning waste. However, the tradition continued this year, disrupting the flight operations for a few hours, sources said.
Early in the morning, the air quality in Chennai deteriorated significantly due to bonfires.
Published on January 14, 2026
