AI flies to Port Blair as airport resumes operations

An Air India service took off at 10:49 am with over 130 on board for Port Blair. The flight will return to Chennai and will fly to Hyderabad, an Air India official said.

Sources said an AI flight from Delhi is expected to land at 1:30 pm. It will the first service to arrive at the Chennai airport after operations were suspended on December 2.

Earlier authorities announced that the Chennai airport would remain closed till Dec 6 following a flooded runway. As an ad hoc measure some flights were operated from the navy’s air base of INS Rajali at Arakkonam. As many as 34 aircraft of various airlines were stranded at the airport when it was shut.

The AAI had on Saturday declared the runway was fit for operating technical ferry and relief flights after an inspection. Four ferry flights departed for Delhi, Mumbai and Port Blair on Saturday while one Cargo flight departed for Singapore via Bangalore.

Jet Airways said that it would resume partial services to Chennai.

Customers with confirmed tickets to and from Chennai till Dec 15, will be allowed full refund of tickets or complimentary change of booking to alternate date.