36 flights cancelled at Mumbai airport due to heavy rains

BOMBAY: As many as 36 flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport on Sunday due to intermittent heavy rains that lashed the city, which also forced the facility operator to suspend runway operations twice in nearly an hour, albeit for a brief period, sources said.

The cancelled flights at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport included budget airline IndiGo as well as full-service carriers Air India and Vistara, the source said.

“Heavy rains, which continued to hit the city at frequent intervals and low visibility led to the cancellation of 18 arrivals and departures each on Sunday,” the source said.

The cancellations affect 24 IndiGo flights, including 12 departures, and eight Air India flights, including 4 departures.

Vistara has also cancelled four of its flights at Mumbai airport, the source said.

A source had earlier said that runway operations were first suspended for eight minutes at 12:12 p.m. and then from 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. during the day due to bad weather and low visibility.

At least 15 flights, including those of Air India, IndiGo and Akasa, were diverted to nearby airports, mainly Ahmedabad, till 4 pm, the source added.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the city received 82 mm of rain, the eastern suburbs 96 mm and the western suburbs 90 mm till 4 pm.

Apart from flight operations, road and rail services were also affected in Mumbai due to heavy rains. While many roads were flooded, the tracks of the Central Railway’s Harbour Line were inundated at some places.