Cyclone Fengal: Chennai airport shutdown till 4 am on Sunday due to adverse weather condition

Chennai: Chennai airport on Friday announced suspension of operations till 4 am on December 1 following heavy inundation of runways and the taxiway, due to the cyclone 'Fengal' triggered rains and the 'adverse weather condition,' with over 50 flights being cancelled and scores of passengers left in the lurch.

Official sources here said the two runways and the taxiway were inundated and as many as 55 flights were cancelled and 19 others diverted, adding, the services include both domestic and international operations. Earlier in the day, when the airport was operational, at least 12 flights were delayed.

The Chennai airport in a post on 'X' said that a team of senior officials was closely monitoring the situation to facilitate the earliest resumption of operations as meteorological conditions improve.

"A WebEx meeting was conducted on 30th November 2024 at 1630 hrs, involving all stakeholders and officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). During the meeting, IMD provided updates indicating that the landfall is expected around 2030 hrs, with prevailing weather conditions likely to persist until 2330 hrs. Following consultations with AAI Headquarters and considering feedback from stakeholders, it has been decided to extend the closure of operations through a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) until 0400 IST on 1st December 2024. We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines regarding their flights," it said in a post on 'X.

The complete disruption of services left the passengers in a lurch and according to ballpark estimates from official sources, over 10,000 people could have been affected due to cancellations and diversions. While the services were hit, nearly 1,000 passengers continued to stay back inside the airport premises to take the first available flight from here to their respective destinations.

As many as 20 flights were cancelled in Hyderabad as well which were services to and from Chennai and Tirupati.

Initially, expecting an earlier landfall of the cyclone, airport authorities had declared suspension of operations till 7 pm starting from 12.30 pm.

The cyclonic storm is expected to make a landfall tonight, close to Puducherry.

Chennai airport said IndiGo Airlines temporarily suspended flight operations, which will resume once the weather improves.