Airlines, on Thursday, cancelled flights to and from Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport, due to the impending cyclonic storm Fani. The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Friday morning in Puri district.
Special Relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi has announced that there will be no flights to and from Bhubaneswar from Thursday midnight for the next 24 hours.
Indigo said it would cease operations on Thursday night and Friday. Airport authorities stated that all 24 Indigo flights scheduled for Friday at Bhubaneswar stood cancelled.
Similarly, GoAir flights, flying in and out of the city airport tomorrow, have also been cancelled. Two flights of GoAir were scheduled to arrive at Bhubaneswar and a similar number were to depart from the city airport.
Vistara is also waiving change and cancellation fee for Bhubaneswar and Kolkata flights for travel between May 2, 2019, and May 5, 2018. In a statement, the airline said that if there was any fare difference, it would be applicable for date changes.
"In light of expected cyclone (Fani), which is likely to impact Bhubaneswar and Kolkata on May 2 and May3, 2019, we are waiving change and cancellation fee for Bhubaneswar and Kolkata flights for travel between May 2 to May 5, 2019. Fare difference if any, will be applicable for date changes," read an official statement from Vistara.
Union civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has requested all airlines to offer all assistance for rescue and relief operations in view of the cyclonic storm.
“All relief material should be airlifted to be delivered to designated agencies. All of us in the aviation sector must rise to occasion,” Prabhu tweeted.