Cyclone Fengal disrupts Chennai airport operations, causes major flight delays

CHENNAI: Heavy rain and strong winds due to Cyclone Fengal have severely disrupted operations at Chennai International Airport on Saturday.

Two international flights, Emirates Airlines from Dubai and Indigo Airlines from Abu Dhabi, have been unable to land for over half an hour in Chennai airport. The planes, with 258 and 151 passengers on board, respectively, circled at an altitude of 4,250 feet above the airport, as low visibility and high wind speeds prevented a safe landing. If the situation doesn't improve soon, these flights may be diverted to nearby airports, said airport officials.

Due to heavy rains caused by the Cyclone Fengal, Indigo Airlines has decided to cancel all ATR flights scheduled to depart after 2 pm today to destinations like Madurai, Trichy, and Salem, according to airport officials.

In this regard, a consultive meeting of airport authorities, airline representatives, and meteorologists was held to discuss further cancellations, delays, and adjustments to flight schedules.

More than 10 other planes, including those from Singapore, Dubai, Delhi, Kozhikode, and Hyderabad, have been forced to circle the airport due to poor weather conditions. Chennai airport officials are taking action to reroute these flights to airports in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Tiruchy.

More than 30 outbound flights from Chennai have been delayed, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. Many travellers have expressed frustration about the lack of timely communication about flight delays. The airport’s website directs passengers to contact the airlines, but with customer service lines either busy or unresponsive, passengers and their families are left stranded, seeking information at the airport.