Disruption in flight ops in Chennai as 'Bhogi' smoke affects visibility

Chennai: Three international flights, scheduled to land here were diverted to Hyderabad on Sunday as 'Bhogi' smoke affected visibility, airport officials said.

Both arrivals and departure of flights were disrupted for about two hours in the morning, they said.

However, the impact on air traffic due to burning of waste was relatively minimal this year in view of sensitization and precautionary measures.

AAI officials lauded Chennai airport and ATC authorities for their preparations to tackle the situation, after taking into consideration the smog factor, they added.

A domestic flight from Delhi was also diverted to the Telangana capital.

Bhogi is celebrated on the eve of harvest festival 'Pongal.' People burn domestic waste in keeping with tradition to welcome a new beginning.

Airport authorities had days ago appealed to people living near the airfield to avoid burning waste as the resultant smog could affect visibility and affect flight operations.