Published on : Thursday, December 3, 2015
All commercial flights to and from Chennai remain suspended due to heavy rains and water logging on the runway, while movement of trains in the city and other parts of the state were severely affected Wednesday by the continuous downpour, said to be the worst in the last ten years.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to all air operators in this regard, an AAI spokesperson said in Chennai. NOTAM is a notice containing information concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any facility, service or procedure, among others, in airspace management. Airport authorities had initially shut operations till Wednesday morning but due to incessant rains it decided to extend it.
All airlines have cancelled their operations from Chennai airport. Spicejet has cancelled all its flights till Thursday, while Jet Airways has cancelled all its flights for Wednesday.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, “A lot of things are stranded at the airport. So the chairman of Airport Authority has tried to develop a plan to make available some essential material like drinking water, and food. Everything is paralysed,” he said.
Asked when the flights can resume, he said, “If the rain stops then only we can give you some type of time frame but if it doesn’t stop then we can’t say anything as Chennai and neighbouring districts are badly affected. If water recedes then only we will be able to do something”.
Heavy rains since Monday night pounded several parts of Chennai and have completely disrupted normal life. The army and the navy have been deployed in two suburban areas of the city to undertake rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met senior cabinet ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu and reportedly discussed emergency measures to be taken to assist the government in rain-ravaged Tamil Nadu, and especially help the people of Chennai.
Tags: chennai, chennai airport, NOTAM
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