Gujarat rains: Ahmedabad Airport issues advisory after ‘heavy rain forecast,’ urges passengers to check flight schedules

The Ahmedabad Airport on Tuesday issued a travel advisory warning passengers against flight delays amid heavy rainfall in the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned against heavy precipitation during the day and issued a red alert for August 27.

Taking to social media platform X, Ahmedabad Airport stated, “Heavy rain forecast in Ahmedabad! Check flight schedules with your airline & allow extra time for check-in at SVPI Airport. Our teams are working 24/7 for a smooth journey. Stay safe & plan ahead! [sic]”

On Monday midnight, IndiGo Airlines issued a travel advisory in view of the heavy rainfall that caused waterlogging at several places. The airline urged passengers to check flight status as the inclement weather conditions impacted flight operations.

In a post on X, IndiGo said, “#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to the ongoing heavy rainfall in #Ahmedabad & #Rajkot, flight operations are impacted, and roads leading to the airport are waterlogged. We understand that this may cause inconvenience and concern [sic].” It further noted that dedicated IndiGo staff and teams are deployed to provide assistance and support during this difficult time.

Amid heavy rains in the state, Western Railways cancelled and diverted a number of trains. Traffic movement was also disrupted following a flood-like situation in the state. The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to extremely heavy rain over the coming two to three days.

The state's Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, convened a high-level meeting on Monday at the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar to assess the impact of the heavy rains. 

“So far, 17,827 people have been evacuated, and 1,653 people have been rescued in the state,” ANI stated, citing the press release. The press release said that 13 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were called to assist in rescue and relief operations in the affected districts.

(With inputs from ANI)