Pune: Heavy rainfall conditions across western India disrupted flight operations at Pune airport on Monday, with two incoming flights diverted, several arrivals and departures delayed, and an Akasa Air flight cancelled. The disruption was compounded by the closure of the Pune-Mumbai Expressway and suspension of rail services, leaving many passengers unable to reach Mumbai airport in time for their flights.
Airport authorities said terminal operations remained unaffected and passenger services continued as normal. As weather conditions improved later in the day, flight operations gradually returned to normal.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), IndiGo flight 6E-502 from Chennai, which had been diverted, later landed safely in Pune after conditions improved. Another IndiGo service, 6E-135 from Kolkata, was diverted to Hyderabad before continuing to Pune, arriving later in the evening.
An Akasa Air flight departing from Pune was also cancelled, though the airline cited operational reasons rather than weather.
Santosh Dhoke, director, Pune airport, “A few flight operations were temporarily affected due to unfavourable weather conditions. With weather conditions improving, flight operations are gradually returning to normal and, at present, no further weather-related delays or diversions are anticipated.”
Rahul Kulkarni, one of the affected passengers, said he had no way of reaching Mumbai airport from Pune for his early morning international flight because of the heavy rains and road closures. “My flight is scheduled for 5 am on Tuesday. I’m seeking an urgent rebooking or refund,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Kulkarni, one of the affected passengers, said he had no way of reaching Mumbai airport from Pune for his early morning international flight because of the heavy rains and road closures. “My flight is scheduled for 5 am on Tuesday. I’m seeking an urgent rebooking or refund,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Another traveller, Fayeem Sayyed, said his family’s journey came to a halt because both road and rail connectivity were disrupted.
“We’ve been travelling since last night but couldn’t reach Mumbai airport due to severe flooding. The Pune-Mumbai Expressway was closed and train services were suspended. As a result, we missed our flight. We have requested the airline for a full refund,” he said.
A passenger affected by the cancellation of the Akasa Air flight from Pune said the lack of immediate information on alternative arrangements added to the inconvenience.
“We were informed about the cancellation only after reaching the airport. While we understand that safety and operational considerations come first, there was little clarity on rebooking or refunds. We hope the airline resolves the issue quickly,” the passenger said, requesting anonymity.