Cyclone Dana is intensifying in the Bay of Bengal and heading towards the Odisha-Bengal coast, causing widespread disruption to air and rail travel in the region. Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) is preparing for a potential shutdown as severe weather conditions worsen. Airlines have canceled and delayed flights, and the railway network has canceled over 350 trains, affecting thousands of passengers. The storm is expected to make landfall between Baleshwar and Kendrapara, with wind speeds reaching 80 to 120 km/h.
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After a four-year hiatus, Kolkata Airport is set to reintroduce a paid porter service. Two agencies have submitted bids to operate the service, which will offer assistance with luggage, boarding passes, immigration, and more. The service is expected to be a welcome relief for elderly passengers, families, and those with mobility challenges.
An IndiGo flight en route to Bengaluru experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff from Kolkata, forcing an emergency landing. All passengers disembarked safely. This incident follows two other recent emergency landings involving IndiGo and Akasa Air flights due to passenger health emergencies.
Major airlines including IndiGo, Vistara, and SpiceJet have issued advisories to passengers traveling through Kolkata Airport, warning of potential transport disruptions due to the 12-hour bandh in West Bengal. The airlines recommend allowing extra travel time to account for possible road blockages, diversions, and traffic congestion.
Due to the impending landfall of Cyclone Remal, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata will be suspending operations for 21 hours from noon today. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert, and the storm is expected to bring heavy winds and rainfall to the coastal areas of West Bengal and northern Odisha. Several international and domestic flights will be affected by the suspension, including those operated by Emirates, Thai Airways, Air India, IndiGo, and Etihad Airways. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for updates and potential itinerary changes.
A glass panel near boarding gate no. 105 at Kolkata airport’s domestic terminal shattered around 10.40 am on Wednesday, causing a scare among passengers. Airport officials said no one was injured and the glass shards were cleared. They are checking the remaining glass panels in the arrival, departure halls, and passenger hold areas. While similar incidents used to be more common in the early years after the terminal’s inauguration in 2013, they have become less frequent in recent times. The last reported incident was in September 2017.