SriLankan Airlines says due to heavy smoke in Chennai, 2 flights due to leave for Chennai were delayed.

Flight services in and out of Chennai were delayed due to heavy smoke following ‘Bhogi’ festival celebrations.

Bhogi, celebrated ahead of the Tamil harvest festival Pongal which will be celebrated tomorrow (Jan. 14), involves burning of old articles in a symbolic gesture of bidding adieu to the old and welcoming the new.

Another SriLankan flight bound for Colombo was also delayed.

As many as 18 arriving flights were diverted to Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports. They flew in from various destinations such as Kuwait, Sharjah and Delhi.

No flights took off during this period, resulting in delays and scores of passengers waiting at the airport.