Morning fog causes disruption at airport

Flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport were cancelled, delayed or diverted when heavy fog reduced visibility to 50 metres.

Flights to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport were cancelled, delayed or diverted early this morning when heavy fog reduced visibility to 50 metres. A number of passengers were stuck at the airport after the fog descended quickly, causing cancellations and delays as emergency weather precautions were put in place. No flights left or arrived at the airport between 12.10am and 7.45am, said Andrew Chupeau, a spokesman for Abu Dhabi Airports Company. "Subject to General Civil Aviation Authority instructions that flights are not allowed to either land or take off in such conditions, they were unable to do so. Visibility below 50 metres is quite rare," Mr Chupeau said. Thirteen flights had to be diverted due to the fog, with 10 going to the airport in Al Ain and one each to Dubai, Sharjah and Muscat, Oman. About 5,000 Etihad Airways passengers were affected by the weather, a spokesman for the airline said. Six return-leg flights from Abu Dhabi were cancelled to minimise the impact across the network during the day, the primary airline flying from the Abu Dhabi airport said in a statement. Those passengers were put on other Etihad flights, where possible. A further 17 early morning Etihad departures were delayed. The airline handed out 4,000 meals to passengers waiting for flights after 3am. Blankets and access to phone cards or an Etihad staff phone were also provided to waiting passengers, while the airline called to warn others of the delay when time permitted. A spokesman for Qatar Airways said one of its flights QR121 from Abu Dhabi to Doha had to be cancelled and passengers were put on a later flight. In its final phase, the airport's second runway is expected to be certified as a CAT III B, making it the most advanced runway in the region and suitable for use when there is very low visibility. [e-mail]