Chennai: After taking stock of the situation, the Chennai Airport authorities decided to resume operations from 1 am. Earlier, it was decided that all the arriving and departing flights will stand cancelled till 4 am due to crosswinds amid Cyclone Fengal that hit Southern India on Saturday. Therefore, a temporary suspension was announced on Saturday at 12 noon. Owing to the cancellation, thousands of flyers were left stranded at the airport with their cancelled tickets, and no other alternative flights to ferry them to their destinations.
Several domestic and international flights were diverted to other cities or to the places they came from due to the extreme weather conditions. According to the officials, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and other authorities were consulted, and concluded to start the operations early to avoid more disruptions to the flights at the Chennai Airport.
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"Based on the meeting with IMD, Airlines, AAI and other stakeholders in view of the revised weather forecast and readiness of the operational area, Chennai Airport will resume operations from 0100 hrs (01.12.2024). We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines regarding their flights," said the airlines on a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Chennai Airport is Up and Running
Reacting to the post, a passenger posted picture of the waiting area, showing that the operations are resumed. He said, "Good to see that Chennai Airport is up and running again, just saw the first flight since the Cyclone board, 6E 0526 to Bhubaneswar. Hoping for a safe and happy journey for all travellers!"
Good to see that Chennai Airport is up and running again, just saw the first flight since the Cyclone board, 6E 0526 to Bhubaneswar.Hoping for a safe and happy journey for all travellers!#ChennaiAirportpic.twitter.com/znIWU0pptM
— Satvara (@maximumeffort67) December 1, 2024
Upon being asked about the flights frequency, he said, "Some delays and some cancellations around noon, but after the Bhubaneswar flight 3 others have departed".
Cyclone Fengal Impact on Chennai
Cyclone Fengal that brewed over the Bay of Bengal made the landfall near Puducherry on Saturday evening. During the event, Chennai and nearby districts in Tamil Nadu was kept on red alert for heavy rains. This not only disrupted flight services, but other modes of transpirts — trains and busses – were also impacted.
Meanwhile, residents were left woth waterlogged roads, and intense rain to deal with. Though the management had already prepared to tackle the situation, and relief camps were set up to address any issue that would come up.