Eight flights were cancelled at Chennai airport on Wednesday after the Indian Meteorological Department issued a forecast that there would be heavy rainfall in the city. Some of the international flights for Thursday have been cancelled and some rescheduled as well. Some of the flights to London, Bahrain, Dubai and Muscat on Thursday and Friday have been rescheduled. Few flights to Dubai and Sharjah early on Thursday have been cancelled too.
On Wednesday, flights to and from Madurai, Tiruchi, Mumbai and Sharjah airport were cancelled. Sources said, since these were smaller aircraft like ATR, the airlines did not want to take a chance in the prevailing weather conditions and decided to cancel those flights. Some of the airlines decided to cancel the flights on Wednesday which were to depart from the city and arrive here after 4 p.m.
Officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said they have prepared a detailed contingency plan in case there is very heavy rain in the coming days. Additional staff have been deployed in both terminals and air side area (the runway and parking bays) to check if facilities for passengers are intact and the movement between aircraft and terminal is smooth, sources said.
“We held a meeting with all stakeholders — airlines, police, CISF and ground handling agency — to make sure there is better coordination between agencies, should be any major problem and we can have a plan in place. We have instructed the firm that operates the food and beverage outlets to stock up on essentials so that if passengers are stranded in the terminal owing to delays or cancellations of flights, there is enough to provide for everyone. We are in touch with the Public Works Department and National Disaster Reserve Force as well,” an official said.
Officials said they are in talks with the police to see if buses can be stationed outside the terminal to transport passengers if required. “We are also constantly monitoring the water level in the Adyar river,” an AAI official said.
