Air India Flight Diverted to Varanasi Due to Delhi Weather; Volcanic Eruption Forces Delhi-Bali Flight to Return
New Delhi/Varanasi, June 18, 2025 — An Air India flight from Bali to Delhi was diverted to Varanasi on Tuesday, June 17, due to poor weather conditions in the national capital. The airline later confirmed that the aircraft, which was carrying 187 passengers, safely landed at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi.
According to airport officials, the diversion was caused by reduced visibility over Delhi, which made it unsafe for aircraft to land during the scheduled arrival time.
Bali-Delhi Flight AI 2146 Rerouted to Varanasi
Flight AI 2146 was scheduled to depart from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport at 10:30 AM local time and arrive in Delhi around 2:30 PM IST. However, weather disruptions led to its redirection.
Puneet Gupta, Director of the Varanasi airport, confirmed the safe landing. “The flight, carrying 187 passengers, was diverted due to poor weather conditions in Delhi. All passenger services and amenities were provided during the delay,” he said.
The aircraft later resumed its journey and landed in Delhi the same night without further issues.
Delhi-Bali Flight AI 2145 Returns After Volcanic Eruption Near Bali
In a separate development on Wednesday, June 18, another Air India flight (AI 2145) from Delhi to Bali was forced to return mid-air due to reports of a volcanic eruption near Bali's airport.
In a statement, Air India said, “Flight AI 2145 on June 18 from Delhi to Bali was advised to return to Delhi due to reports of a volcanic eruption near the destination airport. The decision was taken in the interest of passenger safety.”
The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers were deboarded without incident.
Flight Diversions and Delays at Delhi Airport
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport saw significant disruptions in flight operations on Tuesday. Bad weather led to the diversion of at least 14 flights:
- 6 flights were diverted to Bhopal
- 3 to Chandigarh
- 2 to Amritsar
- 1 each to Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Varanasi
According to real-time data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, over 400 flights were delayed on June 17.
Air India alone cancelled seven international flights on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cancellations by the airline to more than 80 since the June 12 crash of an Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad.
Ongoing Impact of Ahmedabad Air India Crash
The recent disruptions come amid heightened scrutiny following the June 12 crash of an Air India London-bound flight from Ahmedabad. The incident resulted in the deaths of more than 270 people, including passengers and people on the ground.
Since then, the airline has faced:
- Increased flight inspections
- Internal reviews of safety protocols
- A sharp rise in flight cancellations and delays
Authorities continue to monitor safety procedures closely, and multiple flights are being delayed, diverted, or cancelled as precautionary measures.
Passenger Advisory
Air India has advised passengers to monitor their flight status before heading to the airport. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the airline acknowledged the disruptions and said:
“Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, our flight operations are getting impacted with some diversions.”
Passengers have been requested to remain patient and follow updates from official airline sources.
Summary
- Flight AI 2146 from Bali to Delhi was diverted to Varanasi due to poor visibility in Delhi.
- Flight AI 2145 from Delhi to Bali returned mid-air following a volcanic eruption near Bali airport.
- Delhi airport reported over 400 flight delays and multiple diversions on June 17.
- Air India continues to face operational challenges following the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad.