Chennai’s bustling aviation hub faced a series of disruptions as heavy rains swept across the region from Wednesday night through Thursday morning. The inclement weather led to significant delays for multiple flights and forced a number of aircraft to divert to Bengaluru.
According to reliable sources at Chennai airport, the adverse weather conditions resulted in the delay of more than 20 flights, and in an unprecedented move, two flights had to be rerouted to Bengaluru due to the intensity of the rainfall.
Notably, Indigo Airlines, a prominent player in the aviation sector, had to make quick adjustments to its operations. A flight inbound from Delhi and Kolkata to Chennai had to be redirected to Bengaluru in the interest of passenger safety. The flight from Delhi, originally scheduled to arrive in Chennai at 11:35 p.m., and the Kolkata departure set for 1:15 a.m., were both affected by this unforeseen weather event.
The ramifications of these disruptions reverberated throughout the flight schedule at Chennai airport. A considerable number of flights, approximately 20, faced average delays ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. For a subset of these flights, the delays extended to an hour. This cascade effect was attributed to the challenges posed by the persistent rain and its impact on visibility and runway conditions.
In addition to the delays experienced by arrivals, an equivalent number of departures were also adversely affected. The scheduled departures of 12 flights were hindered due to the inclement weather, prompting the airport authorities to take precautions and prioritize safety above all else.
