Bhubaneswar: Flight operations from Visakhapatnam airport have been suspended for October 28 in view of the inclement weather triggered by Cyclone Montha.
The airport, which handles about 60 flights daily, connecting the city to 13 domestic and two international destinations, saw major disruptions affecting hundreds of passengers since October 27 when the Delhi–Vizag IndiGo flight was diverted to Bhubaneswar due to poor visibility.
According to reports, all 42 IndiGo and 12 Air India Express flights to and from Visakhapatnam have been cancelled for October 28.
Sources in Bhubaneswar airport confirmed that flight to Vizag from here has been cancelled at Vizag itself.
In a post on X, Indigo informed about cancellation of flights on the Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry routes. “Due to prevailing cyclone conditions and heavy rainfall expected in and around Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry, flight operations to and from these cities are affected.”
They have advised all passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport and to allow extra time for travel due to waterlogging and traffic congestion. Passengers are also offered flexible rebooking options.
Vijayawada’s Gannavaram International Airport has cancelled over 30 flights. Air India Express flights cancelled from Vijayawada airport on October 28 are as follows:
IX 2819 Vizag- Vijayawada
IX-2862 Vijayawada- Hyderabad
I X-2875 Bangalore- Vijayawada
I X-2876 Vijayawada- Bangalore
IX-976 Sharjah-Vijayawada
IX-975 Vijayawada-Sharjah
IX2743 Hyderabad-Vijayawada
I X-2743 Vijayawada-Vizag
Cyclone Montha, the season’s first major storm, is expected to make landfall near Kakinada on Tuesday night, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 90–100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely across coastal Andhra Pradesh, with districts like Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, Eluru, and West Godavari expected to bear the brunt.
Odisha is also bracing for heavy impact in eight southern districts, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal. The landfall point is about 200 km from Malkangiri.
The state government has already evacuated 3,000 people, including 1,496 pregnant women. A total of 1,445 cyclone shelters are now operational, with 140 rescue teams from NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Services deployed. All schools and anganwadis across nine districts will remain shut until October 30.
Authorities are closely monitoring Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts for possible landslides.