The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Flights Cancelled, Diverted as Cyclone Nears AP Coast
Meanwhile, several airlines announced flight cancellations for Wednesday as the severe cyclonic storm was expected to cross the coast in the early hours.
Flight services at several Andhra Pradesh airports were disrupted as severe cyclonic storm Arnab approached the coast, with multiple cancellations and some flights diverted or returning to origin.
At Vijayawada International Airport, IndiGo flights from Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Kurnool, and an Air India flight from Delhi were cancelled on Tuesday. IndiGo departures to Mumbai and Bengaluru were also cancelled.
Bhogapuram airport in Vizianagaram district saw cancellations for several Air India, IndiGo and Air India Express services to and from destinations including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Tirupati, Kolkata and Kurnool. IndiGo alone cancelled 10 flights to and from Bhogapuram on Tuesday, and reports indicated all IndiGo flights to and from Bhogapuram were cancelled for Wednesday.
Tirupati airport experienced a landing challenge when an IndiGo flight bound for Bhogapuram could not land due to adverse weather and returned to Tirupati; passengers’ fares were refunded. The ATR with 40 to 50 passengers reached Bhogapuram mid-afternoon but had to return for safety reasons.
A meeting of the Airports Authority of India, chaired by chairman Puneet Kansal, was held to review potential cyclone impact and preparedness for disruptions, with participation from regional executives, airport directors, and air traffic control officials across multiple airports in the eastern and southern regions.