Several flights between the UAE and India are cancelled on May 26 and 27 (Sunday and Monday).
This is following the decision of Kolkata Airport Authority of India to suspend all flight operations for 21 hours, starting from 12am on May 26 to 9am on May 27, due to Cyclone Remal’s landfall.
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The storm is expected to impact the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata. “Flight operations are suspended for 21 hours due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata,” Kolkata Airport Authority of India said in a statement.
Cancelled flights from AUH
Etihad Airways flight EY256 from Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) to Kolkata Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) and return flight EY257 on Sunday (May 26) have been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, the airline spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times on Saturday night.
“We apologise for this disruption, our teams are doing their best to assist the guests with their travel arrangements. The safety and comfort of our guests and crew is our number one priority, and we regret any inconvenience caused by this disruption,” Etihad added.
Dubai flights affected
Flights between Dubai and Kolkata have also been affected. An Emirates spokesperson confirmed flights EK 572/573 on May 26 and EK570/571 on May 27 have been cancelled.
“Impacted customers are being re-accommodated. Emirates urges customers to check their flight status on (Emirates website) for the latest information regarding their flights,” Emirates added.
A flydubai spokesperson also confirmed flights FZ 461/462 between Dubai International (DXB) and CCU on Sunday have been delayed and are scheduled to operate on Monday, May 27.
“We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and we will update our flight schedule accordingly,” flydubai added.
Severe cyclone warning
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe cyclone warning for the northeastern region of India and coastal areas of Bangladesh.
The anticipated landfall of the cyclone is projected to occur in West Bengal and the coastal regions of Bangladesh around midnight on May 26. It is forecast to significantly impact the coastal region of West Bengal, including the city of Kolkata.
National Disaster Response Force inspector Zaheer Abbas, however, assured they are prepared for the cyclone.
“If the cyclone hits here, our soldiers are ready to deal with every kind of disaster… Our team is well-equipped. Our team is ready for tree falling or flood rescue etc… We are ready to deal with every situation,” Abbas told ANI.
(with inputs from ANI)