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Colombo – Chennai flights cancelled owing to floods
02 Dec, 2015
Several flights operating between Colombo and Chennai have been cancelled owing to floods at the Chennai airport.
SriLankan Airlines said it has suspended four Chennai bound flights, UL121, UL127, UL123 and UL125 of December 3, in view of the closure of the Chennai International Airport following heavy flooding due to torrential weather conditions in South India.
The airline said it will resume flights as soon as the Airport resumes operations and the Airline may operate a few extra flights to facilitate the stranded passengers in Chennai.
NDTV reported that flights to and out of Chennai have been cancelled for the day and the airport is shut with water on the runway as the city battles heavy rain of the kind not seen in almost a 100 years. No flights have taken off from or landed in Chennai since 8:30 pm on Tuesday.
About 4,000 people are stranded at the Chennai airport.
It rained incessantly since Monday into early Wednesday morning and the Met office says heavy rain is expected to continue over the next four days.
“Unfortunately, the water level is still rising and there is no way to divert the water. The Adyar river is still overflowing. We are working round the clock,” Deepak Shastri, the Chennai Airport Director told NDTV on Tuesday night.
“Only if rain recedes, can we resume work. Runway is not flooded, but there is water. We don’t consider operations at the moment safe. The under carriage (of aircraft) are almost touching water level, hence they cannot operate the flights. This kind of situation is likely to continue,” he said.
Airlines made early morning announcements on Wednesday to inform people that flights continue to be cancelled. (Colombo Gazette)
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