Cyclone Fengal: Chennai Airport closes its operations till 4 am on 1st December

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 30 (ANI): Due to Cyclone Fengal, authorities of Chennai Airport have decided to extend the closure of operations until 4 am on 1st December.
"A team of senior officials is closely monitoring the situation to facilitate the earliest resumption of operations as meteorological conditions improve. A WebEx meeting was conducted on 30th November 2024 at 1630 hrs, involving all stakeholders and officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD)," Chennai Airport said in a post on X.
"During the meeting, IMD provided updates indicating that the landfall is expected around 2030 hrs, with prevailing weather conditions likely to persist until 2330 hrs. Following consultations with AAI Headquarters and considering feedback from stakeholders, it has been decided to extend the closure of operations through a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) until 0400 IST on 1st December 2024. We recommend passengers check with their respective airlines regarding their flights," the post added.
Earlier in the day, the authorities announced that the operations of the airport would be closed from 12.30 pm to 7 pm today. This has been now extended.
Multiple flights to and from Chennai were affected on Friday due to inclement weather in the region.
Multiple airlines issued travel advisories and updates on their flight plans due to the continuing heavy rains in Chennai.
"Flights to and from Chennai are getting affected due to inclement weather and heavy rains," read an X post by Air India.
IndiGo issued a travel advisory and said that their flights in multiple cities, including Chennai, Tiruchirappali, Tuticorin, Madurai, and others were impacted.
"The current weather conditions continue to impact flights to/from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Madurai, with Tirupati and Vishakhapatnam now also affected," read the X post by IndiGo Airlines.
Meanwhile, due to the heavy rains in Chennai caused by Cyclone Fengal, the Southern Railway has announced changes in train services.
The Dr. MGR Chennai Central - Jolarpettai Yelagiri Express (Train No. 16089) scheduled to depart from Dr. MGR Chennai Central at 17:55 hours today have been fully cancelled.
The Gorakhpur - Thiruvananthapuram North (Kochuveli) Raptisagar Express (Train No. 12511) that departed from Gorakhpur at 06:35 hours on November 29 will be diverted via Korukkupet and Perambur, skipping its scheduled stop at Dr. MGR Chennai Central. The train will have an additional stoppage at Perambur with timings 23:30 (arrival) and 23:35 (departure), Southern Railway said in a press release.
The Dhanbad - Alappuzha Express (Train No. 13351) that departed from Dhanbad at 11:35 hours on November 29 will also be diverted via Korukkupet and Perambur, skipping its scheduled stop at Dr. MGR Chennai Central. The train will have an additional stoppage at Perambur with timings 23:50 (arrival) and 23:55 (departure).
Passengers are advised to check with the railway authorities for further updates and to plan their journeys accordingly.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Cyclonic Storm Fengal is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram on Saturday evening, with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph.
According to the IMD, Cyclone Fengal, located over the southwest Bay of Bengal, is moving west-northwestwards at 10 kmph. It is currently positioned near latitude 12.3°N and longitude 80.7°E, approximately 100 km east-northeast of Puducherry and 100 km southeast of Chennai. (ANI)