APD | India: Mumbai rains cause chaos at airport

By APD writer Rishika Chauhan

Hanoi, July 5 (APD) – Dozens of flights have been cancelled in the last few days at the Mumbai airport due to constant rain.

Since Tuesday, a SpiceJet aircraft has been stuck at the main runway of the Mumbai airport, which has led to cancellation of other flights as well as diversions.

Airlines are also using smaller jets as the main runaway has been closed for the next 48 hours. So far, around 52 flights have been cancelled, while 55 have been delayed.

In the meantime the authorities are preparing a 150-metre long ramp to move the plane, which is a Boeing 737-800.

International flights have been particularly affected as they operate from the main runaway and use bigger airplanes.

In a statement, a Spicejet spokesperson said,"Spicejet SG 6237 Jaipur-Mumbai flight overshoots runway while landing at Mumbai Airport. All passengers are safe, no injuries reported.”

Meanwhile, many domestic airlines are warning passengers about delays and cancellation of flights.

International airlines like, Korean Air operating between Seoul and Mumbai, Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt and an Air India flight from Bangkok have been diverted.

Mumbai has received around 540 millimetres of rain since Sunday night, which is the highest, recorded in the city in the last decade.

The rain has caused buildings to collapse and loss of life has also been reported, as the city is dealing with the risk of flooding.

(AISA PACIFIC DAILY)