PUNE: The Pune airport was a picture of total chaos and confusion due to multiple flight delays and diversions since the late night hours of Sunday due to continuous rains which affected visibility. A total of 14 flights belonging to different airlines were diverted while several delayed between 12am till 8am causing chaos at the airport due to heavy crowding. Flyers were the end sufferers and they faced major inconveniences due to the same. As Kunal Ranjan, who was flying along with his family from Ranchi on an IndiGo flight said, “The flight couldn’t land in Pune and was diverted to Ahmedabad. After around 2 hours, it took-off again and came to Pune but again couldn’t land and went back,” he said. The flyer said that presently they were in Ahmedabad and that the airline had arranged for them another flight which was scheduled to take off at 2pm on Monday. Another IndiGo flight coming to Pune from Nagpur was diverted to Ahmedabad. “Now we are stranded inside the flight since more than an hour and not allowed to deboard without any information,” Amit Dixit, a flyer on the aircraft said on X. Another flyer said that another IndiGo flight (6E391) flying from Pune to Bengaluru in the morning hours of Monday had been cancelled. “The flight has been cancelled and the airline had provided to no proper solution other than asking flyers to rebook directly,” Vimal Sumbly, a flyer said. Another IndiGo flight from Chennai to Pune, set to land in Pune by 2.50am, was diverted to Mumbai. “My friend is stuck on that flight since 4am. It is 10.30am now and he and all flyers are still inside the aircraft totally frustrated,” a friend of the flyer told TOI. At around 10.40am, the flight was taxiing for a take-off to Pune. Indigo sent out a message on X alerting flyers. “There’s a heavy downpour over Pune at the moment, causing temporary disruption to flight schedules. If you’re travelling today, please be aware of potential delays and allow additional time for your journey. Please check your flight status on our app or website before leaving. Remember, we’re here if you need anything along the way,” the message said. Other airlines also sent out similar advisories. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke confirmed the disruptions. “Pune city airport area and its surroundings experienced heavy rainfall last night, accompanied by intense lightning and thunder. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for Pune due to these severe weather conditions. As a result, flight operations were significantly disrupted from 12:00 AM to 8:00 AM.Due to heavy rain at pune 14 flights have been diverted on 15 September however 3 flights retunred back to pune. Situation is becoming normal now.Currently, the rainfall intensity has decreased, and flight operations have resumed. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has extended their full support by permitting flight movements during the military block time (as per the NOTAM), ensuring smooth operations,” the director said.
