Ladakh's 'hot' 35 degrees force airlines to cancel flights; climate activist Wangchuk threatens fast

Almost 12 flights have been cancelled in the past three days, said reports. Social media platform X users have been complaining of flyers being stranded at Leh airport. Even the low-cost carrier IndiGo, citing ‘high ground temperatures and runaway restrictions’ has cancelled flight bookings on its website till July 31.

Flight cancellations due to extreme weather conditions are becoming a recurring phenomenon in Leh-Ladakh, but this is the first time many flights have been cancelled because of high day-time temperatures.

Demand to protect ecologically fragile region

This incident comes even as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk declared that he will launch a 28-day fast on Independence Day.

Wangchuk, who has been raising the issue of the impact of climate change, said climate change impact is more pronounced in the Himalayan region due to its unique geography and ecology. "We must develop and implement solutions that are not only effective but also sustainable and scalable," he added.

Wangchuk is demanding that the Modi government should give statehood for Ladakh and wants its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to help protect the ecologically fragile region from "greedy" industries.

Climate change impact

Wangchuk claimed the government withdrew its promise to provide tribal area status and full statehood to Ladakh under pressure from "industrialists who want to exploit the resources" of the ecologically fragile region. The environmentalist said the Modi government made several big announcements to deal with climate change but not much has happened on the ground.

"I was very hopeful. They proactively banned single-use plastics. Normally, this happens when there is pressure from people. They declared Ladakh carbon neutral. But not much is happening on the ground," he said, expressing displeasure over the government's climate commitments and actions.

"India has set a target of becoming a net zero economy by 2070, which is very far off. Now, there are discussions on expanding coal power usage. I am pained to see such things," he said.

Wangchuk said the government is forced to build more coal-fired power plants due to the "mindless consumption" of electricity by the common people. "Even renewable energy, such as solar, is not a solution to our problems if we consume electricity to live a luxurious life," he said.

Flight cancellations to Leh-Ladakh

Meanwhile, on Monday (July 29), IndiGo posted regarding reasons for cancellation of flights and promised a refund for its users in a post on X.

"High ground temperatures and runway restrictions in #Leh have necessitated the cancellation of all flights for today. If you wish to re-book or claim a refund, visit https://bit.ly/3MxSLeE We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding," the post read.

Leh airport, situated at above 14,000 feet makes aircraft operations normally more difficult than in other places. In Leh, air pressure is naturally lower throughout the year and any abnormal increase in temperature, as it is happening now, could further make air density to drop.

Thin air density reportedly affects aircraft engine performance as the aircrafts climbs higher. It also affects landing as the engine generates higher speed to continue to stay afloat. In such conditions coupled with unusual temperatures, aircraft engines cannot develop enough thrust to carry a commercially viable load and can lead to problems, said news reports.