Flight delays in city rise to 355 in December

The number of frequently delayed flights in the city increased dramatically in December 2011 as compared to previous months owing to the early morning and evening fog and airlines’ unpreparedness.

The number of frequently delayed flights in the city increased dramatically in December 2011 as compared to previous months owing to the early morning and evening fog and airlines’ unpreparedness.

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Of all the flights that took off and landed at the city airport last month, 355 were delayed one of the five times they were operated. This is the third highest number of delays in a month since April 2011, when the civil aviation ministry had first asked the airport operator draw a monthly list of frequently delayed flights. The move was aimed to discipline airlines and help passengers avoid late flights.

“The performance had been particularly bad, as these numbers do not include Kingfisher flights,” said a ministry official requesting anonymity. Flight delays steadily increased as winter set in with 276 delayed flights in November as compared to 207 delays in October, 2011.