Rain continues to affect Mangalore flights

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 14: The incessant rains lashing the coastal districts and the inclement weather in Mangalore continued to affect all the flights for the third consecutive day on Sunday too.

Just like Saturday, except the Bangalore flights (small aircraft namely ATR), other flights operating on Mumbai, Delhi and West Asia route were either cancelled or diverted because they could not land.

The only big aircraft (Boing 737-800) that landed on Sunday belonged to AI Express, which arrived from Cochin. The aircraft (AI Express IX-812 Dubai-Mangalore) was diverted to Cochin on Saturday morning as it did not get ATC clearance. After arriving from Cochin on Sunday, the aircraft flew Saturday’s Abu Dhabi-Muscat passengers on Sunday.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Air India Express Station Director Chellam Prasad said Sunday’s IX-820 Doha-Bahrain-Mangalore flight has been cancelled. “Special arrangements will be made to take the passengers on Monday,” she said.

Meanwhile, IC-7613 Delhi-Mangalore flight by Indian Airlines too was cancelled on Sunday. Similarly, both the Jet Airways flights from Mumbai were cancelled while Kingfisher flight from Mumbai was diverted to Bangalore. Many a passengers preferred to go to Bangalore and take a flight to West Asia or Mumbai as they could not extend their leaves.

The main reason for diversion of several aircraft for the last three days is delay in repair of Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Mangalore airport. The ILS structure was damaged when the ill-fated Dubai-Mangalore AI Express crashed it before plunging into a ravine at Kenjar.

However, Mangalore Airport Director Peter Abraham told Deccan Herald that a team of Airports Authority India (AAI) experts would be arriving in Mangalore from New Delhi to check the instruments.
DHNS