Indian carriers on Wednesday said their flights have not been affected so far despite the volcanic clouds from Iceland causing major disruption of air traffic in Europe.
Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher said that their flights were flying on schedule but they had directed their pilots to ensure that aircraft carry extra fuel while flying to Europe or North America in case they have to divert due to the clouds.
“We are closely monitoring the situation almost every few hours. We have asked the pilots (to ensure that planes) flying to Europe or North America to carry extra fuel in case of any diversion”, an Air India official said.
Same was the response of his counterparts from Kingfisher and Jet Airways, with all of them saying there has been no impact of the ash clouds on their flights as yet.
An Air India spokesperson in London said the London-Mumbai flight (AI 130) left on schedule on Wednesday morning while two flights (AI 116 and AI 112) for Delhi were on schedule. All Air India flights from London were operating from Heathrow terminal four instead of three.
The three Indian carriers have been asked by the Civil Aviation Ministry to draw up alternative route plans to and from North America over the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and also to Western Europe, official sources said.
The airlines and the Indian authorities have sought permission for technical halts to pick up and drop passengers from Athens, Rome, Cairo and airports in unaffected European cities, they said.
Over 1,000 flights, mostly in the U.K., Germany and Ireland, have been cancelled in the past two days due to the volcanic eruption in Grimsvotn and the ash clouds getting blown over to Scotland and other parts of northern Europe.
