178 passengers stranded at Dibrugarh ferries to Kolkata

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday said 178 passengers stranded at Dibrugarh in Assam have been flown to Kolkata in an IndiGo flight.

The stranded passengers have been evacuated in a phased manner, the ministry said in a series of tweets earlier in the day.

"In a major relief for all those stranded in Dibrugarh, a @Indigo6E flight to Kolkata has departed carrying all the 178 passengers. This would not have been possible without the intervention of the local administration and the airline. Thank you everyone involved," the ministry said in a late evening tweet.

On Thursday, airlines cancelled flights to various places in Assam, which are witnessing unrest due to protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB).

The ministry also said the temporary suspension of operations on Thursday is being closely monitored.

In consultation with stakeholders, air operations to and from the airport shall resume as soon as the situation improves," it said in a tweet during the day.

"The movement of passengers at Dibrugarh airport is disrupted due to the blockage of road transportation to and from the airport. The officials have extended all amenities to the stranded passengers with the help of local administration," the ministry said.

IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Vistara were among the airlines that had cancelled their flights.

In a tweet, Vistara said it has cancelled flights "as per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam".

"Flight UK725 (IXB-DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are cancelled for today. We are offering free change/cancellation to Guwahati and Dibrugarh flights through Sunday, December 15," it said.

IXB and DIB are the codes for Bagdogra (West Bengal) and Dibrugarh airports.