The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) organised a review meeting to assess the situation and ensure aviation safety as Cyclonic Storm Arnab was expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, with winds of 125-135 kmph and gusts up to 150 kmph, the ministry said, citing India Meteorological Department (IMD) inputs, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

Flights to and from coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, are expected to be most affected by the storm, according to the ministry. Hyderabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur may see knock-on delays depending on the storm's track, it added.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

The ministry stressed inter-agency coordination between stakeholders including the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the IMD, airline and airport operators, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the disaster management authorities of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, to ensure passenger safety.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

Three airports suspend operations

In Visakhapatnam, operations have been suspended since the afternoon of October 27, while in Vijayawada and Rajahmundry, all flights were suspended after 7 pm on October 27, the ministry said. The Delhi-Bhogapuram-Delhi service stands cancelled on October 28.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

Air India reported six cancellations involving Delhi-Visakhapatnam-Delhi services on October 27 and Delhi-Vijayawada-Delhi services on October 28, The News Trust reported. Air India Express reported 13 cancellations, mostly involving Visakhapatnam flights connecting Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Vijayawada, besides services linking Varanasi, Bangkok and Visakhapatnam, it said.

Source: The News Trust

IndiGo suspended all flights at Visakhapatnam and halted services at Vijayawada and Rajahmundry after 7 pm on October 27, while Akasa Air cancelled its Delhi-Bhogapuram-Delhi service scheduled for October 28 and Alliance Air reported normal operations with no cancellations so far, The News Trust added. The airline cancellation figures remain provisional, it said.

Source: The News Trust

125-135 kmphIMD forecast sustained winds at landfall, gusting to 150 kmph
3Airports where operations were suspended - Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajahmundry
13Air India Express cancellations reported by The News Trust

Passengers have been advised to check their flight status before travelling and to allow extra time for the journey to the airport, as road travel may also be affected by waterlogging and closures in the storm zone. Sources: ANI via LatestLY; The News Trust.