RANCHI: Air passengers had tough time on Saturday as at least three flights were cancelled and many more were either delayed or diverted from the Birsa Munda International Airport in Ranchi owing to
cloudy
and misty weather.
The Ranchi-Patna flight scheduled for 2pm, the Ranchi-Bengaluru scheduled for 16.50pm and the Ranchi-Delhi flight were cancelled. Moreover, the Ranchi-Delhi flight scheduled for 13.20 pm was diverted while another Ranchi-Mumbai flight scheduled for 17.55 was delayed in the afternoon.
An Indigo official said at least half a dozen flights were delayed by around an hour due to the prevailing weather condition and the count may increase by the end of the day.
Several passengers were stranded at the airport owing to the situation.
Brace for foggy mornings: IMD
Gunjan Kumari arrived at the airport after travelling 150km from Tatijharia in Hazaribag district to catch the Ranchi-Bengaluru fight only to learn that it has been cancelled. Kumari was in despair as she is supposed to join a new job on Monday.
She said, "I do not know what alternative the airlines would provide. I don't have anybody to stay with in the city. I have already spent Rs 4,000 on a private car to arrive at the airport." Another passenger, Sharad Kumar, who was scheduled to board a flight to Delhi with family members, said he was worried that his flight may also be cancelled or delayed. "The airlines should try to provide information regarding changes in flight schedule much ahead than what they are doing," he said. Kumar said he along with his wife are working professionals and both have to join work on Monday.
Repeated calls to contact the airport director for his comments went unanswered.
Railway sources said the Jammu Tawi-Sambalpur Express was also delayed by four hours, Vasco De Gama-Jaisdih train by one-and-a-half hours and Anand Vihar-Ranchi express by half an hour. Senior railway official Nishant Kumar said the weather condition has not impacted train movement much.
IMD Ranchi in-charge Abhishek Anand said due to the overcast condition, the mist did not clear during the day. "There will be fog in the morning on Sunday also but the situation will improve in the later part of the day," he added.
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