Karnataka bandh: 44 flights cancelled to and from state

As many as 44 flights were cancelled to and from Karnataka amid the state-wide bandh today, including 22 flights arriving in Bengaluru and 22 departing flights.

As Karnataka witnessed a multitude of protests across various locations amid a state-wide bandh on Friday, as many as 44 flights were cancelled to and from the state. Several of these flights were scheduled to come in from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Mangaluru, among other locations.

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. (HT Archive)

This includes the cancellation of 22 flights arriving in Bengaluru and 22 flights that were scheduled to depart from the city, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, said.

The airport's authorities had earlier issued a passenger advisory in view of the bandh, saying that they anticipate a disruption in transport services to and from the airport. They advised passengers to therefore plan their commutes accordingly and follow alerts from airlines and officials for further updates.

“Due to the one-day Karnataka bandh called by various unions and organisations on September 29, 2023, we anticipate disruption in transport services. Passengers are advised to plan their travel to and from the airport accordingly. Passengers are requested to follow alerts from respective airlines, law enforcement agencies and media releases for further updates,” the BLR Airport posted on social media site X.

Members of pro-Kannada organisations had organised protests outside the airport earlier this morning, during which police officials detained several of them. See visuals here:

Individuals representing the Kannada activist groups had told reporters on Thursday that they will block airports and other transport related infrastructures including highways, toll plazas and railway stations today.