Mohali, Nov. 8 -- Flight operations at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport were severely disrupted on Friday following a major technical glitch at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, leading to widespread flight delays and cancellations. The disruption caused heavy inconvenience to passengers, with two international flights - to Abu Dhabi and Dubai - also getting delayed. The timing of the disruption proved particularly challenging, as the airport had just resumed full-day flight operations after nearly two weeks of restricted flying hours. A Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) spokesperson confirmed that three IndiGo flights to Dharamshala, Delhi and Jaipur were cancelled, while several others faced long delays. Three Delhi-bound flights were delayed by one to five hours, leaving passengers stranded in terminal waiting areas. "Many passengers headed to Delhi remained at the airport for hours as arrival and departure schedules kept fluctuating," the spokesperson said. IndiGo flights bore the brunt of the disruption. Jaipur flights were delayed by 5 hours 6 minutes, 2 hours 24 minutes and 3 hours 35 minutes, respectively. Hyderabad flights were late by 3 hours 25 minutes and 2 hours 25 minutes, while Bengaluru flights faced delays of 1 hour 32 minutes and 36 minutes. Flights to Goa were delayed by 2 hours 53 minutes and 45 minutes, Ahmedabad by 2 hours 52 minutes and 2 hours 50 minutes, and Mumbai by nearly 2 hours 30 minutes. The Indore flight departed 3 hours 31 minutes behind schedule, and the Srinagar service was delayed by 25 minutes. The only non-IndiGo domestic flight affected was the Air India Chandigarh-Delhi service, which left 2 hours 32 minutes late. Most delayed flights also arrived late, creating a ripple effect throughout the day. Friday saw an unusually heavy passenger load as normal operations resumed, with an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 passengers passing through the terminal. With multiple delayed flights, waiting lounges and boarding areas remained overcrowded. "There was barely any space to sit, and announcements kept changing. Passengers were getting anxious," said a Mumbai-bound traveller. Airport officials acknowledged the congestion but said operations continued smoothly without any security breach. The disruption came just as the airport resumed full operational hours from 5 am to 11 pm, following nearly two weeks of restricted morning-only flights due to runway strengthening work using Polymer Modified Emulsion (PME). Under the previous NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), only morning flights were permitted between October 26 and November 6. Night closures will, however, continue from 11 pm to 5 am until November 18 to complete the remaining work. During these hours, helicopter movements are allowed only with prior authorization. Airport authorities expressed hope that flight schedules will stabilise once operations at IGI Airport return to normal and airlines realign their rotations. However, officials cautioned that with winter approaching, a period often marked by fog-related disruptions, irregularities in flight timings were possible in the coming weeks....