Chaos prevails at airports as several flights cancelled in region

CHANDIGARH: Panic, chaos and disruption landed at airports of the region on Day 2 of India-pakistan hostilities, inconveniencing hundreds of passengers for at least five hours before the Airports Authority of India (AAI) resumed operations.

An air of uncertainty descended on the region’s airports a day after the air strikes across the Line of Control to destroy the Jaish-e-mohammed terror network, which was behind the Pulwama attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.

The flight operations from nine airports, including Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar and Chandigarh, were suspended temporarily around 10.30am after closure of airspace following instructions from the Indian Air Force (IAF). By that time only two flights had operated from Jammu, leading to cancellation of 20 flights.

Though the airspace was opened around 3pm after clearance from the IAF, Jammu airport director said, “Twenty flights were cancelled from Jammu. Since airlines had already cancelled flights for the day after closure of the airspace, the flight movement could not resume later. Normal flight operations from Jammu will resume from Thursday morning.”

Panic-stricken passengers were seen opting for road and train travel.

The helicopter service to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was also suspended as a precautionary measure on Wednesday. The yatra through both routes went on as usual.

Twenty-five commercial flights were cancelled from the Srinagar airport, while two were cancelled from Leh. Only three civilian flights operated from Srinagar on Wednesday. Five buses were deputed for stranded passengers at Srinagar airport, deputy commissioner Shahid Chaudhary said. “For stranded passengers at Srinagar airport, five buses have been deputed. Should you need any help, please call us at 0194-2472580/2452182,” he tweeted.

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, commercial flight operations at all three airports of Dharamshala, Kullu and Shimla were shut before the AAI withdrew the restriction in the afternoon.

LEFT IN THE LURCH

Hundreds of passengers were left in the lurch at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee airport for four hours on Wednesday as 21 flights were cancelled and others diverted.

The authorities started stopping passengers outside the airport from 11am and got others to evict the premises simultaneously. Abdul Rashid of Srinagar said, “My wife Ritika and I had come to Amritsar on February 23 for medical treatment. We were to return to Srinagar this morning but the authorities did not allow us to enter citing tension between India and Pakistan.”

Another passenger Jasbir Kaur said, “I’m a teacher in the United Kingdom (UK). My husband and I were returning after meeting relatives in Jalandhar. We’ve now been told that the flights have been cancelled. I need to join duty at the earliest. This is harassment. Where do we go now?”

Similarly, Puneet Sharma and his wife Isha from Jalandhar were to fly to Dubai on a tourist visa. “Though the decision taken by the government to close the airport is for the security of the people, the growing tension between India and Pakistan should be tackled through a dialogue as early as possible because ordinary people are getting harassed,” Sharma said.

Sukhdev Singh travelled from Phagwara to receive his son, Narinder Singh, at the Amritsar airport. “My son was flying from France to Amritsar. I’ve been waiting to receive him. His number is unreachable. Where should I go?”

At 3pm, airport director Manoj Chinsoria said that the airspace closure order had been withdrawn so civil flights will resume.

But till Wednesday night, no flight had arrived or departed. “Passengers have been allowed to enter the airport though no flight has taken off after the resumption,” an airport spokesperson said.

Bathinda airport terminal manager Sachin Kumar said that the Bathinda-jammu flight was cancelled for Wednesday due to operational reasons. He said the decision to cancel the flight was taken on Tuesday itself due to internal reasons of Air India.

TRAVEL PLANS OF HUNDREDS OF PASSENGERS HIT; AAI WITHDRAWS ORDER AFTER FIVE HOURS FOLLOWING IAF CLEARANCE