A Cyclone Just Emptied the Skies Over Andhra Pradesh

Cyclone Arnab disrupted air travel across coastal Andhra Pradesh this week. On Tuesday, October 27, airport officials suspended 16 flight services at Alluri Sitharama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, which serves Visakhapatnam, affecting IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express. Services were to resume depending on weather conditions.

On Wednesday, October 28, airport sources expected around 44 flight services to be cancelled at Vijayawada. IndiGo scrapped all 12 of its scheduled flights there, and named cancellations included two Fly91 services on the Hyderabad route and Air India’s morning Delhi flight. Routes touching Bengaluru, Chennai, Tirupati, Mumbai, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam were affected, and international services to Singapore and Sharjah could also be hit.

The storm itself was forecast by India’s weather department to approach the coast near Yanam as a possible very severe cyclonic storm, with sustained coastal winds of 115 to 125 km/h and gusts up to 140 km/h. Authorities said 1,763 cyclone shelters were ready and disaster-response teams were deployed in 11 high-risk districts.

Air India advised passengers on Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada flights to check their flight status and allow extra travel time. Reports available at publication cover October 27 and 28 only, so anyone with onward travel in the region should confirm current operations directly with their airline.

Sources: The Hans India, Business Today