Flights resume at Chennai airport but cancellations also continue

Officials of Airports Authority of India say routine operations are expected to return by Wednesday. Passengers continue facing a host of problems, from trying to find out the status of their flights to rescheduling tickets

Though the airport terminals were opened by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, operations began only by 11 a.m. | Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Chennai airport resumed flight operations on Tuesday morning, but cancellations continued.

Though the terminals were opened by 9 a.m., operations began only by 11 a.m. The first flight to arrive after the airfield was opened was UK 821 to Mumbai at 11.19 a.m. and the first one to depart was 6E 6005 to Chandigarh at 11.46 a.m.

Officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said 136 domestic and international flights were cancelled on Tuesday, and they would operate around 260 flights. It took a team of about 100 personnel to get the airport prepared for operations on Tuesday. “There have been some delays and cancellations since the operations resumed today, but it will settle down soon. We are expecting routine flight operations by Wednesday,” an official said.

Passengers continued facing a host of problems, from trying to find out the status of their flights to rescheduling tickets. Some were also anxious about how to reach the airport, and if approach roads and cabs were accessible.

Ananya Maddegalla, a passenger, posted: “@airindia My flight to Chennai was cancelled today, 5 Dec, but there was no imitation via email or text whatsoever. Only after reaching the airport I be informed about cancellation. The least u could do was update your official social media sites #ChennaiRains #CycloneMichuang”

The airport too faced the wrath of Michaung as heavy wind and flooding of the taxiways forced authorities to stop operations at 9.17 a.m. on Monday.