Cyclone Yaas impact: Kolkata airport to remain shut for nearly 12 hours on Wednesday – Mint

Pumps have been kept ready to remove water from the low-lying areas in the airport compound. Small planes will be kept tied to the ground, while precautions are also being taken to prevent any damage to large planes that were severely affected during Amphan.

So far, Air Vistara has cancelled two flights on the Kolkata-Mumbai and Kolkata-Delhi routes on May 26.

Wind speed on May 26 in Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly will reach 70 kmph to 80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Monday said flight operations at Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jharsuguda and Durgapur airports are likely to be hit due to cyclone Yaas, while instructing other airports in the eastern region to be on alert in view of a possibility of change in path of cyclonic winds. It also said that civil aviation authorities in the country are taking all precautions and keeping a close tab on the movement of cyclone, which is approaching the eastern coast of the country.

“While flight operations at Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jharsuguda and Durgapur airports are likely to be impacted by the cyclone; Ranchi, Patna, Raipur, Jamshedpur, Bagdogra, Cooch Behar, Vizag and Rajahmundry airports have been instructed to be on alert in case the cyclonic winds change path,” the AAI said in a release. Keeping safety of airport infrastructure, manpower and safe flight operations in mind, airports have been advised to “anticipate, plan and protect” to safeguard the airport infrastructure and civil aviation services, it said.