Bhubaneswar, 03 January (H.S.): Flight operations at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar were severely affected on Saturday as dense fog engulfed the city, reducing visibility to zero in several areas. No flights departed from the airport during the morning hours, while several incoming flights were delayed or diverted, officials said.

According to the airport director, three flights scheduled to arrive in the Odisha capital were diverted to other cities due to poor visibility. The affected flights were rerouted to Ranchi, Kolkata and Chennai. Airport operations have been disrupted continuously for the past three days as dense fog persists across the region.

Bhubaneswar experienced zero visibility on Saturday morning, particularly in areas around the airport, AG Square, Rajmahal and the vicinity of the Raj Bhavan. Officials noted that such complete loss of visibility was recorded for the first time during the current winter season.

While dense fog conditions had been reported earlier this week in the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar region, visibility had not dropped to zero on those occasions. The weather situation continues to pose challenges to air traffic and public safety, with authorities closely monitoring conditions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda