Key Points

"Dear Mr Abdullah, further to our exchange of morning, would highlight that it is incorrect to blame Delhi airport for the current delays/ diversions. The fact is- The closure of Runway 10/28 since 8th April for essential Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgradation," the airport said in its reply to Abdullah's post.

Earlier, Delhi Airport authorities issued a clarification about the diversion of the Delhi-bound IndiGo flight carrying Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. They cited operational issues due to ongoing infrastructure work and changes in wind patterns.

Delhi Airport said that it had already issued several advisories about the "unseasonal changing" wind patterns. It added that runway 10/28 had been closed since April 8 for Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgrades after consultations with all stakeholders and based on past wind data.

"Dear Mr Abdullah, as you may be aware, we've issued several advisories regarding the unseasonal changing wind patterns in Delhi. Runway 10/28 has been closed for ILS upgradation since 8th April, following consultation with all stakeholders and based on historical wind patterns," the airport said in its reply to Abdullah's post.

The airport further explained that these changes may have caused flight diversions and were necessary to ensure passenger safety.

"Additionally, the shift toward more easterly winds and the use of converging runways for easterly arrivals have led to temporary capacity constraints during this upgrade. These conditions, at times, result in flight diversions to ensure passenger safety. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused," it said.

Earlier, the IndiGo flight carrying Omar Abdullah, which was heading to Delhi, was diverted to Jaipur on Saturday night. It finally landed in Delhi in the early hours of Sunday.

According to reports, the flight left Jaipur at 2:00 am, and Omar Abdullah confirmed that it landed in Delhi just after 3:00 am.

"In case anyone is wondering, I got to Delhi just after 3:00 AM," Abdullah posted on X, replying to his earlier complaint in which he had sharply criticised Delhi Airport.

"Delhi airport is a bloody shit show (excuse my French but I'm in no mood to be polite). 3 hours in the air after we left Jammu we get diverted to Jaipur & so here I am at 1 in the morning on the steps of the plane getting some fresh air. I've no idea what time we will leave from here," he wrote.

Abdullah also shared a selfie while standing on the aircraft stairs, saying he had stepped out briefly to get some fresh air.

- ANI