Kochi: For the first time since its birth more than a decade ago, the Cochin International Airport Limited closed down its runway and turned away flights due to high-risk weather on Monday morning.
The Periyar crossed its boundaries as the Edamalayar dam, which is 75 km from here, opened its shutters to let go the brimming water on Sunday evening. The cascading effect was felt on the airport as the flood waters inundated the taxi bay and the parking bay. The drainages of the airport clear out the water to Periyar. “But on Monday, there was a reverse flow of water from Periyar after the water level rose,” said airport director A.C.K. Nair.
The airport will remain shut till 3.20 p.m. on Tuesday. Travel plans of thousands of inbound and outbound passengers went awry on Monday. The airport handles about 11,000 passengers on a normal day.
Eighteen international flights were cancelled since the runway was closed at 10.30 a.m. Riyad-Kochi flight of Saudi Airlines was diverted to Chennai, Muscat-Kochi flight of Jet Airways to Thiruvananthapuram and Sharjah-Kochi service and Salalah-Kochi services of Air India Express were diverted to Kozhikode and Thiruvanathapuram. Twenty-eight domestic services were cancelled.
06/08/13 The Hindu
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The Periyar crossed its boundaries as the Edamalayar dam, which is 75 km from here, opened its shutters to let go the brimming water on Sunday evening. The cascading effect was felt on the airport as the flood waters inundated the taxi bay and the parking bay. The drainages of the airport clear out the water to Periyar. “But on Monday, there was a reverse flow of water from Periyar after the water level rose,” said airport director A.C.K. Nair.
The airport will remain shut till 3.20 p.m. on Tuesday. Travel plans of thousands of inbound and outbound passengers went awry on Monday. The airport handles about 11,000 passengers on a normal day.
Eighteen international flights were cancelled since the runway was closed at 10.30 a.m. Riyad-Kochi flight of Saudi Airlines was diverted to Chennai, Muscat-Kochi flight of Jet Airways to Thiruvananthapuram and Sharjah-Kochi service and Salalah-Kochi services of Air India Express were diverted to Kozhikode and Thiruvanathapuram. Twenty-eight domestic services were cancelled.
06/08/13 The Hindu
