In the wake of the relentless downpour caused by the cyclone Michaung in Chennai, around 33 flights were redirected to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Monday, December 4. The Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) authorities said that both domestic and international flights, initially bound for Chennai, had to be diverted to KIA.
Among the affected flights were two departures from KIA that were forced to return to Bengaluru due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in Chennai. The diverted flights included carriers such as Indigo, SpiceJet, Etihad, Gulf Air, Fly Dubai, Air India, Lufthansa, and British Airways.
Anticipating continued adverse weather conditions, officials mentioned that no further diversions were expected, as the Chennai airport had been temporarily closed until 11.30 pm.
In light of the challenging weather conditions and the temporary closure of Chennai airport for arrival operations, BIAL released a passenger advisory. The advisory indicated that scheduled departures from KIA to destinations including Chennai, Tirupati, and Vijayawada were either experiencing delays or cancellations.
"Passengers are urged to stay informed by checking with their respective airlines for alerts and updates," advised BIAL in the passenger advisory. Travelers are encouraged to monitor the situation closely and make necessary adjustments to their plans based on the evolving weather conditions.
Several parts of Chennai received more than 20 cm rainfall in the last 24 hours after being hit by Cyclone Michaung. As of 12:30 pm on December 4, Cyclone Michaung has intensified as a severe cyclonic storm and is 90 km northeast of the Chennai coast. It is expected to move along north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh before making landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam at 11.30 am on December 5.
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