Chennai – The Bhogi festival caused disruptions at Chennai Airport on Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of eight flights and delays for ten others, as smoke from traditional celebrations combined with early-morning fog prompted precautionary measures by airlines. Despite these disruptions, passengers largely avoided major inconvenience, as airlines had informed them in advance about cancellations and revised departure schedules.

The festival of Bhogi, which marks the first day of the four-day Pongal celebrations, is traditionally observed by burning old and discarded household items. In Chennai, residents in areas surrounding the airport—such as Meenambakkam, Gowl Bazaar, Pozhichalur, Pammal, Anakaputhur, Thoraipakkam, Manapakkam, and Nandambakkam—participate in the ritual, often burning plastic waste, tyres, and other discarded materials early in the morning. The resulting smoke occasionally engulfs the runway area, reducing visibility and posing a challenge to safe flight operations, especially when combined with pre-dawn fog.

Chennai Airport has faced recurring disruptions during Bhogi over the years. In 2018, a record 73 departing flights and 45 arriving flights—a total of 118 services—were affected by smoke and haze. In 2024, the festival-related smoke and fog disrupted 27 arriving and 24 departing flights, totaling 51 affected services. Anticipating similar conditions this year, the Airports Authority of India took precautionary steps by rescheduling flights arriving and departing between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., notifying passengers via text messages. Approximately 30 flights had their timings adjusted ahead of the festival.

On Wednesday, four departing flights from Chennai were cancelled: the 3:05 a.m. flight to Pune, the 6:35 a.m. flight to Coimbatore, the 7:15 a.m. flight to Mumbai, and the 8:00 a.m. flight to Delhi. Four arriving flights were also cancelled: the 5:20 a.m. flight from Delhi, the 6:35 a.m. flight from Mumbai, the 7:10 a.m. flight from Pune, and the 9:10 a.m. flight from Coimbatore.

Several other flights experienced delays ranging from one to three hours. For departures, Chennai–Vijayawada (scheduled 5:40 a.m.) left at 8:40 a.m., and Chennai–Thoothukudi (scheduled 6:10 a.m.) departed at 9:10 a.m., both delayed by three hours. Other flights to Visakhapatnam, Muscat, Andaman, Bengaluru, and Tiruchirappalli also departed later than scheduled, with delays ranging from one to three hours. Among arrivals, the flight from Singapore (scheduled 5:55 a.m.) landed at 8:20 a.m., the Muscat flight (scheduled 6:30 a.m.) arrived at 9:00 a.m., and the Kuala Lumpur flight (scheduled 7:00 a.m.) touched down at 8:40 a.m.

Notably, as of 7:00 a.m., Chennai Airport reported that the anticipated heavy smoke haze and dense fog had not materialized to the levels seen in past years, allowing flight operations to continue without severe disruption.

Officials emphasized that the precautionary cancellations and delays were intended to ensure passenger safety, given the historical challenges posed by smoke and fog during Bhogi. “While the levels of smoke and haze this year were lower than expected, our priority is to maintain operational safety at all times,” an airport spokesperson said.

For passengers traveling during the festival, authorities recommended checking flight schedules in advance and maintaining communication with airlines for updates. Chennai Airport has historically managed Bhogi-related disruptions with contingency planning, and the coordinated efforts between airlines and airport authorities helped minimize inconvenience this year despite the early-morning ritual fires in surrounding areas.

As Bhogi is celebrated annually in the days leading up to Pongal, airport authorities are expected to continue planning precautionary measures in future years to mitigate the impact of smoke and fog on flight operations.

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