E-Paper
India-England match: Lucknow airport sports a busy look as 10 chartered flights land on Sunday
The air traffic was unusually high at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on Sunday
The air traffic was unusually high at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on Sunday. That’s because at least 10 chartered flights carrying VIPs arrived here, for the India England World Cup match at Ekana stadium.
The VIPs included former President Ramnath Kovind, though it wasn’t clear if the former President had arrived for the match or was on a personal visit.
An airport official confirmed that the airport’s parking bay was all packed due to several chartered flights.
“Special staff was used for VVIPs arriving by chartered flights,” the official said. The official said they weren’t aware if all the VIPs who arrived on Sunday had come for the World Cup match and added that extending a warm welcome to all guests was part of the protocol that was followed.
The airport security was on high alert due to a blast in Kochi on Sunday and for VIP security two bullet-proof vehicles were used by the airport staff. For security reasons, VIPs exited from the special airport exit. Rupesh Kumar, airport spokesperson said due to the rush, regular travellers were advised to reach the airport early. Passengers who used the Shaheed Path to reach airport faced traffic snarls on the way as the Ekana stadium is also located on the same route.
Airport officials refused to disclose the names of VIPs who arrived by their private aircraft. “We cannot disclose their names for security purposes. All I can say is that they were accorded a great welcome,” said Kumar.
