The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
21 flights cancelled from Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam airports
21 flights were cancelled at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports as a very severe cyclonic storm approached the Andhra Pradesh coast
Two airports in Andhra Pradesh saw a wave of flight cancellations as a very severe cyclonic storm approached the coast.
At Vijayawada airport, five flights were cancelled on Tuesday, including four operated by IndiGo and one by Air India Express. The affected routes included services to Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Kadapa, according to airport officials.
For Wednesday, IndiGo cancelled all 12 of its scheduled flights at Vijayawada, Fly91 cancelled its flights, and Air India canceled its morning service to Delhi. In total, 15 flights were cancelled at Vijayawada for Wednesday, the official noted.
At Visakhapatnam airport, a total of 16 flights were cancelled on Tuesday as the storm progressed toward the coast.
The India Meteorological Department reported Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal, about 170 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam at 11:30 am. The IMD bulletin indicated the system was likely to move west-northwestward and cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by Wednesday forenoon, with maximum sustained winds of 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph.
Authorities placed Andhra Pradesh on high alert with evacuations planned and precautionary measures underway to mitigate potential impacts.