PTI
New Delhi, DECEMBER 5
Technical flights from Chennai airport were resumed on Saturday after operations were suspended on December 2 due to flooding and heavy rains across Tamil Nadu. However, it will take a few days to resume commercial flights, Union minister Mahesh Sharma said on Saturday.
“We started technical flights from Chennai airport. But we are unable to resume commercial flights as the basement of the airport is still waterlogged and power supply of the terminal building has not been restored completely.”
“It might take at least 2-3 days to clear the airport for operations,” the minister of state for civil aviation said.
He said four commercial flights were operated from INS Rajali Naval base, with two flights of Indigo and one each of Spicejet and Trujet evacuating 310 people.
Meanwhile, three stranded Air India aircraft flew back to Delhi from the Chennai airport.
A total 34 aircraft of various airlines were stranded at the airport due to the flooding caused by torrential rains. Chennai airport had suspended flights till Sunday due to floods but on Friday, a go-ahead was given for operating technical ferry and relief flights. After the inspection of runways and other areas, the aerodrome was declared available for limited day time operations, under visual meteorological conditions for technical ferry and relief flight from Chennai airport, and subsequently upgrade to all weather operations as and when facilities are restored, an AAI statement said.
On December 2, AAI had announced that the airport would be shut till December 6 after heavy rains caused flooding of the runway and nearby areas.
“Chennai Aerodrome has been closed up to 12 noon of the December 6, 2015. The situation is being closely monitored and any further action will be taken subject to review for resumption of services as soon as possible,” the AAI, which runs the airport, had said on December 2.
Chennai airport handles 320 landings and departures on an average. As many as 20 international airlines operate from Chennai airport, apart from most of the domestic carriers.
Rs 20,000 and more: Airfares skyrocket as people flee Chennai
Spot air fares out of Bengaluru, one of the nearest airports from Chennai, have shot through the roof with the cheapest available ticket going for over Rs 20,000 on many sectors.
The cheapest ticket on travel portals for Bengaluru-Delhi flights on Saturday was priced at Rs 21,081; for Bengaluru-Mumbai, it was Rs 22,323, Bengaluru-Ahmedabad Rs 28,430 and Bengaluru-Kolkata for Rs 12,086.
Spot fares indicate prices of tickets booked at short notices, around four-six hours before travel. However, fares for travel for later days were considerably lower. People stranded and desperate to get out of Chennai have been travelling around 300km to Bengaluru after incessant rains and floods forced aviation authorities to shut down operations at the airport till December 6 and allow only limited operations.
Screengrab of December 6 flights from Bengaluru to Kolkata.
“This was bound to happen. However, airlines need to have a heart and not overcharge people in distress,” said Rajji Rai, former president of the Travel Agents Association of India.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is monitoring the situation and the government might intervene if fares continue to skyrocket, said sources.
“Limited commercial flight operations from Rajali naval air station in Arakkonam started on Friday. Rs 1,000 as fare will be charged for travelling to southern states and Rs 2,000 will be charged for northern states,” an aviation ministry official said.
To clear stranded passengers, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is likely to start limited operations from Chennai airport from Saturday. It, the state-run operator said, would be carried during the day while night operations could begin in a couple of days.
