Chennai airport: Flights delayed, cancelled due to Bhogi festival smoke

Chennai: The Chennai airport faced significant disruptions on Monday morning due to poor visibility caused by smoke from the burning of old clothes and tyres during the Bhogi festival. As a result, the arrival of three Indigo flights from Delhi and Bengaluru was cancelled, and 30 other flights had their schedules modified as a precautionary measure.

The affected flights included both domestic and international routes, such as those to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Andaman, Goa, Pune, and Kolkata.

The smoke, generated from Bhogi celebrations across Chennai, including near the airport, formed a thick smog that drastically reduced visibility, making flight operations hazardous. Airport officials reported that the situation was being closely monitored, with plans to divert incoming flights to alternative airports if the smoke worsens.

Passengers were notified of the schedule changes through phone messages, and efforts were made to reschedule early morning flights in anticipation of poor visibility. In addition to domestic airlines, international carriers such as Oman Air, Etihad, and AirAsia also adjusted their schedules. For instance, AirAsia rescheduled its Chennai-Kuala Lumpur flights, shifting the arrival time of the morning flight from 7:25 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. and the departure time from 8:05 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. until January 15.

This annual disruption caused by Bhogi smoke is a recurring issue for Chennai airport, although it has gradually improved over the years. In 2018, 118 flights were affected, but by 2024, the number of disrupted flights had dropped to 51.

Despite measures by civic authorities and police to raise awareness about the dangers of burning waste, visibility remains an issue, as only a limited number of pilots are trained to operate under conditions where visibility drops below 400 meters.

The dense smoke from the Bhogi festival also significantly impacted air quality in Chennai, causing breathing difficulties for residents and reducing visibility for motorists. Mild rain since midnight helped alleviate some pollution, but the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) warned that pollution levels could rise further throughout the day. The TNPCB is monitoring air quality across 15 locations in Chennai for 24 hours on the day of Bhogi, as well as on the preceding and following days.

With IANS inputs