West Asian crisis delays 20 flights at Chennai airport

CHENNAI: Passengers at Chennai Airport were inconvenienced on Saturday after escalating tensions in West Asia disrupted flight operations.

A total of 20 flights, 10 arrivals and 10 departures, were delayed by up to five hours, testing the patience of the flyers.

The delays were due to ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which has affected air traffic passing through West Asian airspace. Several international flights between Gulf countries and Chennai were forced to revise their schedules.

Among the delayed arrivals were Air Arabia flights from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, Emirates flights from Dubai, Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Kuwait Airways flight from Kuwait, Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi, and an IndiGo flight from Abu Dhabi.

Similarly, 10 outbound flights from Chennai to various West Asian destinations were also delayed.

Passengers complained that no timely announcements or alerts were issued regarding the delays. Usually, the AAI shares updates through Chennai Airport's official social media handles and WhatsApp groups, enabling passengers to plan accordingly.

However, passengers said no such updates were released on Saturday, leaving many uncertain about revised departure and arrival timings. Several passengers expressed frustration over the lack of communication, saying they had to wait for hours inside the terminal without clear information on their flights.