Heavy rain throws Pune’s air, rail traffic off track

Heavy rain on Monday disrupted flight operations at Pune Airport, leading to the cancellation of one flight, the diversion of two others and delays to several arriving and departing services.

According to the Pune Airport Director, IndiGo flight 6E-502, operating from Chennai to Pune, was diverted temporarily before landing safely at Pune Airport. Another IndiGo flight, 6E-135, operating from Kolkata to Pune, was diverted to Hyderabad. Additionally, one Akasa Air flight was cancelled due to the airline’s own operational reasons.

“Terminal operations at Pune Airport have remained normal throughout, and all passenger facilities continue to function smoothly. With improvement in weather conditions, flight operations are gradually returning to normal. No further weather-related delays or diversions are expected at present,” the Pune Airport Director said in a release.

The weather-related disruption left several passengers stranded or scrambling to rearrange their travel plans, with many taking to social media to voice their frustration.

Passenger Fayeem Sayyed, who was travelling to catch a Jeddah-bound flight, said he could not reach Mumbai Airport in time due to flooding. “We were travelling since last (Sunday) night but couldn’t reach Mumbai Airport due to severe floods in Maharashtra. The Pune-Mumbai Expressway was closed, and trains were suspended. Flight SV771 was missed due to this,” he wrote on X.

Jayesh Parekh, who was travelling on Flight SG-52 from Dubai to Pune on July 6, said the flight was significantly delayed and only one of his six checked-in bags arrived with him. “The other five bags were left behind in Dubai, citing short loading. A delayed flight is frustrating enough, but arriving without almost all of my luggage has caused immense inconvenience. This is completely unacceptable,” he said.

The flight, originally scheduled to depart Dubai at 12.05 am and land in Pune at 4.30 am, eventually departed at 3.36 am and reached Pune at 8.13 am.

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Responding to the issue, a source from SpiceJet said, “Due to bad weather, fuel upliftment needs to be increased, considering possible diversions affecting flight luggage payload. This is a normal and globally followed practice. Also, the luggage is chosen randomly and should arrive via the next available flight.”

Priyank, a passenger who had booked a Dubai-Pune-Patna itinerary with a layover in Pune to attend an important engagement, said his flight was rescheduled without prior notice.

“I booked IndiGo Dubai to Pune and Pune to Patna, with a layover, to attend an important engagement in Pune, paying extra compared to other routes. The flight was rescheduled without informing us. My wife and 14-year-old are travelling on it. At the counter, we were informed that the flight was diverted to Mumbai. We have a very important engagement in Pune and are not getting sufficient time,” he said.

Another passenger, Aakash, said his Flight SG-939 from Delhi to Pune on Monday was rescheduled after a delay of more than three hours.

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“My flight SG-939 from Delhi to Pune, originally scheduled at 4.55 pm on Monday, was rescheduled to 8.40 pm, a delay of three hours and 45 minutes, without a proper explanation,” he said.

IndiGo, in a release, said: “Due to heavy rains, flights to/from Mumbai and Pune are impacted. We recommend checking your flight status on our website or app before heading out. Also, please allow extra time for your commute, as slow-moving traffic may affect road travel en route to the airport.”

Akasa Air, in a similar statement, said: “Due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai, Pune and Goa, some flights across our network may be delayed. We realise that this may inconvenience your travel plans and seek your patience and understanding.”

Landslides disrupt train services

A landslide between Thakurvadi Cabin and Monkey Hill Cabin on the Lonavala-Karjat section on Monday severely affected rail services. A total of 26 trains were cancelled, 47 were diverted, while several others were short-originated, short-terminated or rescheduled.

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Railway officials said incessant rainfall over the South East Ghats between Lonavala and Karjat over the past few days had triggered the landslide. The section recorded more than 140 mm of rainfall within four hours on Monday, after receiving 327 mm on Sunday and 162 mm on Saturday.