The flights departing from Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport were cancelled till 2 pm while Terminal 2 and 3 were operational as usual.
Flight operations were affected and passengers were left asking questions after a portion of the roof of Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 fell on cars on Friday. At least one person was reported dead while five others were injured as the portion of the roof fell on cars and taxis at the airport. The flights departing from Terminal 1 were cancelled till 2 pm.
At 8:45 am, the Delhi Airport authorities announced that all departing flights from Terminal 2 and 3 at Delhi airport were fully operational. The flights at Terminal 1 arrival were operational as well. However, those departing from Terminal 1 stood cancelled due to the roof collapse.
All the arrivals on Terminal 1 continued till 10:30 am. After this, all arrival and departure flights were being planned and allocated in a way to accommodate passengers. All SpiceJet arrivals and departures from Terminal 1 were being shifted to T3.
For IndiGo, all arrival and departures from Terminal 1 were being distributed amongst Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
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DELHI AIRPORT ANNOUNCES COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS
The Delhi Airport authorities announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased, and Rs 3 lakh each to those injured. “Delhi Airport is extending all support to the families of the individuals. We have announced a compensation of Rs.20 Lakh to the family of the deceased, and Rs.3 Lakh each to those injured,” Delhi Airport posted on X.
PASSENGERS MISS FLIGHTS
Passengers inside the airport were being taken to Terminal 2 and 3 from Terminal 1. Yash, a passenger at Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, said, “I was going to Bangalore, I had a flight at 8:15 am. Here the roof collapsed around 5, 5:15 am… The airport authority has no answer…”
“I have a flight at 9 am. I came to know that the structure above (canopy) has collapsed here. Some flights have been cancelled. They (officials) are now asking us to go to Terminal 2,” another passenger said.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police also advised passengers to get in touch with respective airlines on the status of their flights as some flights from Terminal 1 were diverted to Terminal 2 and 3.
“Due to canopy breakout at Departure, T1(Terminal 1) Delhi Airport, operations at Terminal 1, both arrival and departure have been halted. Flights of T1 have been diverted to T2 (Terminal 2) and T3 (Terminal 3). Passengers are advised to be in contact with their Airlines for complete information,” The Delhi Traffic Police posted on X.
Due to canopy breakout at Departure, T1(Terminal 1) Delhi Airport, operations at Terminal 1, both arrival and departure have been halted. Flights of T1 have been diverted to T2 (Terminal 2) and T3 (Terminal 3). Passengers are advised to be in contact with their Airlines for complete information.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also asked airlines to accommodate passengers on alternate flights or issue full refunds under the regulations.
AIRLINES ISSUE TRAVEL ADVISORY
Meanwhile, airlines including IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet issued statements on the status of flights at the Delhi Airport.
“IndiGo flight operations are impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1, Delhi Airport because of adverse weather conditions. This has led to flight cancellations at Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives. This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep a track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport. IndiGo passengers can call 0124 6173838 or 0124 4973838 to seek assistance regarding their travel plans. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” said a statement by IndiGo.
SpiceJet in its statement said, “Due to bad weather (heavy rains), SpiceJet flights have been cancelled as Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Please contact us at +91 (0)124 4983410/+91 (0)124 7101600 for alternate options or full refund or refer to http://changes.spicejet.com. Please keep a watch on our Social Media channels for further updates.”
Air India in its travel advisory said, “Heavy rains in Delhi may result in flight delays to and from Delhi airport today. Guests are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport and keep sufficient time in hand in view of heavy traffic on the roads. For more information, please call our Contact Centre on 011 6932 9333 & 011 6932 9999 or visit our website http://airindia.com.”
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reached the spot where the incident happened on Friday. He took stock of the situation and was briefed by senior officials about the operations and the accident.
