Flight Operations Resume At Bhubaneswar & Kolkata Airports As Landfall Process Of Cyclone Dana Continues

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: Flight operations at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport resumed at 8am on Friday after cyclone Dana made landfall on Odisha’s coast, authorities said. The services were suspended as a precautionary measure due to the cyclonic storm. Flight operations also resumed at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at 8 am after the services were shut for the same reason on Thursday.

The first flight to have been operated from Bhubaneswar airport was a Vistara flight that had arrived from Delhi, said Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan.

“Normal operations were to start at 9 am but we have preponed it to 8 am. We have followed all post-cyclone procedures. Our teams have inspected operational areas, terminal building and city side and we have resumed operations,” he added.

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Dana commenced between Paradip and Bhitarkanika in Odisha around October 24 midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed.

An early morning update from the IMD stated that the landfall process would continue for the next 2 hours as the cyclone was about 30km north-northwest of Dhamara.

“The severe cyclonic storm “dana” moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph and lay centred at 0730 hrs ist of today, the 25th october, over north coastal Odisha near latitude 21.10° n and longitude 86.80°e, about 30 km north-northwest of Dhamara and 50 km north-northwest of Habalikhati nature camp (bhitarkanika). Landfall process continues and the rear sector of the cyclone is entering into land.  The landfall process would continue for next 1-2 hours,” IMD tweeted.