Cyclone Montha grounds 32 flights at Vijayawada airport

Flight operations at Vijayawada International Airport were severely affected on Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions triggered by Severe Cyclonic Storm Montha over the Bay of Bengal. As a safety measure, as many as 32 scheduled flights were cancelled by noon, leading to widespread travel disruptions.

According to the Airport Director of Vijayawada International Airport, a total of 42 flights (21 arrivals and 21 departures) were scheduled for the day. Of these, only 10 flights (five arrivals and five departures) were able to operate, while the remaining 32 flights were cancelled because of the cyclone’s impact on flight safety and visibility.

The cancellations included services operated by IndiGo (18 flights), Air India (6 flights), and Air India Express (8 flights). The airport authority confirmed that the decision to suspend operations was taken in coordination with airlines and air traffic control, following warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

IMD officials said Cyclone Montha had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal and was moving north-northwestwards toward the Andhra–Odisha coast. The system brought heavy rain, gusty winds, and low visibility to parts of Krishna and Guntur districts, forcing airlines to either cancel or reschedule operations.

Airport sources indicated that normal flight services could remain affected for the next one to two days, depending on the storm’s movement and weather clearance. Passengers have been advised to check flight status updates before heading to the airport.

Meanwhile, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the IMD and airline operators to resume operations as soon as weather conditions improve.

As of Tuesday afternoon, similar disruptions were also reported at Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry airports, where several flights were cancelled or diverted due to the same weather system.

Officials emphasized that passenger safety remains the top priority, and flight operations will only resume once conditions are declared safe for takeoff and landing.