NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday held a review meeting to assess aviation safety in view of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) prediction that Cyclonic Storm 'Arnab' would intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, with wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts of up to 150 kmph.
An official release said flights to and from coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, were expected to be most affected. Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur could also face delays depending on the storm’s track.
Flight operations at Visakhapatnam airport were suspended from Tuesday afternoon, while flights at Vijayawada and Rajahmundry airports were suspended after 7 pm. The Delhi–Bhogapuram–Delhi service was cancelled for Wednesday, October 28.
Air India cancelled six flights on the Delhi–Visakhapatnam–Delhi route on October 27 and the Delhi–Vijayawada–Delhi route on October 28. Air India Express cancelled 13 flights, mostly services to and from Visakhapatnam connecting Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Vijayawada, as well as the Varanasi–Bangkok and Bangkok–Visakhapatnam services.
IndiGo suspended all flights at Visakhapatnam and flights at Vijayawada and Rajahmundry after 7 pm on October 27. The airline’s cancellation figures were provisional. Akasa Air cancelled its Delhi–Bhogapuram service and return flight scheduled for October 28, while its other flights were expected to operate. Alliance Air was operating normally, with no cancellations reported so far.
The ministry advised airlines to follow operational guidelines for adverse weather, keep passengers informed about delays and cancellations, and comply with applicable rebooking and refund rules.
"Passengers are advised to check flight status on airline's website, app, helpline or SMS before leaving for the airport, it added. They are requested to not travel unless your flight is confirmed," the release said.
Passengers were also advised to allow extra travel time. "Waterlogging and road closures are likely in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha," it said.
The ministry stressed the need for coordination among the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), IMD, airlines, airport operators, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and disaster management authorities in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal to ensure passenger safety.