iWorld
Delhi Airport operator files FIR against 63 social media handles
DIAL says misleading flood posts followed 72.2 mm rainfall in three hours on September 4
MUMBAI: Delhi Airport’s rain story has taken a turn from waterlogging to a war of words, with the airport operator filing an FIR against 63 social media handles over posts it says falsely portrayed flooding and disruption at the airport.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates Indira Gandhi International Airport, approached the Delhi Police after a spate of posts circulated following heavy rainfall on September 4. The operator said some accounts shared videos and claims suggesting that airport operations had been affected by severe waterlogging.
According to DIAL, the Terminal 3 arrival forecourt did experience temporary water accumulation after the intense downpour, but the situation was brought under control within 20 minutes and airport operations continued without disruption.
The airport operator said some of the content circulating online did not accurately represent conditions at Delhi Airport. In one case, it alleged that an old video showing waterlogging at Dubai Airport was shared as footage from Delhi Airport.
DIAL said it believed the posts were intended to create public mischief, spread misinformation, damage the reputation of a public utility service and unnecessarily alarm passengers about the status of airport operations.
The airport operator said its teams responded immediately to the water accumulation and followed established safety protocols to ensure that airport operations continued safely and smoothly.
The rainfall itself was no small splash. Delhi Airport recorded approximately 72.2 mm of rain over three hours, between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm on September 4.
“While there was temporary water accumulation in the Terminal 3 arrival forecourt following an episode of intense rainfall, airport operations were not affected, and the situation was resolved within 20 minutes,” a DIAL spokesperson said.
The operator urged passengers to rely on its official channels for updates rather than social media posts whose authenticity or context may be unclear.
The FIR marks DIAL’s latest attempt to draw a line between genuine weather-related disruption and what it describes as digitally amplified misinformation. While heavy rain briefly left water in the airport forecourt, the operator maintains that the wider airport operation stayed on track.
