A thunderstorm disrupted flight operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for nearly an hour on Thursday, forcing a diversion and delaying several flights.
The disruption lasted from 4.22 pm to 5.19 pm as rain, gusty winds and lightning affected visibility and runway conditions. Officials said air traffic had to be regulated during this period.
"A total of four flight arrivals and six departures were reported during this period. However, one flight had to be diverted to an alternative airport due to unsafe landing conditions," an Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson said, without specifying the airport to which the flight was diverted.
The AAI official said the conditions were classified as TSRA (Thunderstorm with Rain), which makes take-off and landing risky.
Due to the thunderstorm activity, the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) had to temporarily regulate flight movements to ensure passenger safety, leading to delays and diversions. Operations resumed gradually after the weather improved.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s private aircraft, which was scheduled to land around that time, could not touch down during the storm. It finally landed at 5.19 pm, an official said.
