Flights at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai were seeing an average delay of 40 minutes on Tuesday evening as rain battered the city and other parts of Maharashtra, virtually bringing large area to a standstill.
Apart from the delay, eight flights had to go around before landing, and three were diverted in the afternoon, making it a total of 17 go-arounds and 11 diversions for the day so far.
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Earlier, heavy rainfall on Tuesday morning had also severely disrupted operations at the airport, leading to eight flight diversions between 9 AM and 9.50 AM, officials said.
IndiGo issued a travel advisory on Tuesday morning, alerting passengers to possible flight delays and waterlogged routes to the airport.
The airline said on X, “If you’re scheduled to travel, we recommend leaving a little earlier and keeping an eye on your flight status via our app or website.”
Rain brings Mumbai to a standstill
The downpour also brought much of the city to a standstill. Several low-lying areas were inundated, slowing vehicular traffic and causing delays of local trains, further inconveniencing commuters across Mumbai and adjoining districts.
{{/usCountry}}The downpour also brought much of the city to a standstill. Several low-lying areas were inundated, slowing vehicular traffic and causing delays of local trains, further inconveniencing commuters across Mumbai and adjoining districts.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced that government and semi-government offices would remain closed and urged private organisations to allow employees to work from home and avoid non-essential travel.
Schools and colleges also remained closed as the IMD issued a red alert, forecasting extremely heavy showers in Mumbai and neighbouring districts. Mumbai Police appealed to residents to step out only if necessary and requested private offices to facilitate work from home.