Chennai’s air travel faced significant disruptions on Friday, with a total of 13 flights cancelled due to a confluence of bad weather and operational issues. The cancellations, impacting both arrivals and departures, caused considerable inconvenience for passengers and highlighted the challenges posed by unpredictable weather patterns and operational complexities within the aviation sector.
The Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) confirmation of Cyclone Fengal played a significant role in the cancellations. Budget carrier IndiGo bore the brunt of the weather-related disruptions, grounding two flights – one from Chennai to Mangalore and another to Trichy. The return legs of these flights were also cancelled. The Mangalore flight, originally scheduled for 7:25 PM departure from Chennai, and the Trichy flight, scheduled for 8:50 PM, left numerous passengers stranded. Their return flights, slated for 11:10 PM (Mangalore) and 11:30 PM (Trichy), were also affected.
In a travel advisory issued to passengers, IndiGo attributed the cancellations to prevailing weather conditions, impacting multiple routes across South India, including Chennai, Trichy, Tuticorin, Madurai, Tirupati, and Visakhapatnam. The airline urged affected passengers to monitor their flight status online for the latest updates and potential rescheduling information.
Adding to the travel chaos, Air India Express cancelled five flights due to what they termed ‘operational reasons’. These cancellations affected flights scheduled to depart from Chennai to Coimbatore (7:25 AM), Bhubaneswar (7:45 AM), Hyderabad (9:20 AM), Bengaluru (9:35 AM), and Pune (8:45 PM). Further compounding the problem, the return flights to Chennai from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, and Coimbatore were also cancelled, leaving a significant number of passengers with disrupted travel plans.
The widespread cancellations serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of air travel to both weather-related events and unforeseen operational challenges. Passengers are advised to remain vigilant, check with their respective airlines for updates on flight status, and consider alternative travel arrangements when significant weather events are forecast. The impact on the travel industry and the resulting inconvenience to passengers underscore the need for robust contingency planning and improved communication strategies during periods of disruption.
