Bad weather in Chennai, Tirupati causes flight disruptions from Hyderabad

Several flights operating from Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport have been cancelled or diverted due to adverse weather conditions in Chennai and Tirupati caused by Cyclone Fengal.

According to a press release issued by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, a total of 20 flights were affected, including cancellations and diversions. The cancellations include three flights from Hyderabad to Chennai (HYD-MAA); seven flights from Hyderabad to Tirupati (HYD-TIR); three flights from Chennai to Hyderabad (MAA-HYD); seven flights from Tirupati to Hyderabad (TIR-HYD).

Additionally, two flights were diverted due to poor weather conditions at Chennai Airport. These flights include IndiGo flight 6E 683 from Mumbai to Chennai, carrying 200 passengers, and Air India flight AI 429 from Delhi to Chennai, carrying 147 passengers.

Furthermore, four departure flights to Chennai and four arrival flights from Chennai were also impacted.

The disruptions were caused by heavy rains and strong winds in Chennai and Tirupati, resulting in poor visibility and unsafe flying conditions.

Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest flight information and to plan their travel accordingly.

Meanwhile, Chennai Airport has announced an extension of its operational closure due to Cyclone Fengal. Initially planned to close from 12:30 pm to 7 pm on November 30, the closure has now been extended until 4 am on December 1.

"A team of senior officials is 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)," Chennai Airport said in a post on X.

"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," the post added.

Multiple flights to and from Chennai were affected on Friday due to inclement weather in the region.

Multiple airlines issued travel advisories and updates on their flight plans due to the continuing heavy rains in Chennai.

"Flights to and from Chennai are getting affected due to inclement weather and heavy rains," read an X post by Air India.

IndiGo issued a travel advisory and said that their flights in multiple cities, including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, and others were impacted.

"The current weather conditions continue to impact flights to/from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, with Tirupati and Vishakhapatnam now also affected," read the X post by IndiGo Airlines.