Airlines asked to check fare surge to and from Delhi after airport roof collapse
The Aviation Ministry has issued an advisory to all airlines, urging them to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Delhi after the collapse of Terminal 1’s roof at the Delhi airport on Friday morning due to heavy rain.
The ministry emphasised that flight cancellations and rescheduling should be done without penal charges. Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held a high-level review meeting on Friday evening with key officials to address passenger safety amid the ongoing situation.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been directed to issue a circular to all airports, both minor and major, to conduct a thorough inspection of their structural integrity. The AAI has been instructed to submit inspection reports to the Ministry of Civil Aviation within five days.
Besides, a team of structural engineers from IIT Delhi were deployed to assess the damage at Delhi Terminal 1.
A war room will be established to closely monitor the full refund of cancelled flights or provide alternative travel route tickets for the passengers.
War room helpline numbers have been created for Indigo and SpiceJet passengers. Indigo helpline numbers for passengers at T2 terminal – 74287 48308 and for T3 terminal – 74287 48310. For SpiceJet passengers, helpline numbers at T3 Terminal – 0124-4983410/0124-7101600/9711209864.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation earlier tweeted, “In view of the unfortunate incident at Terminal 1 IGIA, Delhi, all airlines are advised to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Delhi and take necessary action regarding the same.”
The incident at Delhi airport prompted the cancellation of several flights from Terminal 1, while many other services have been shifted to other terminals.
All flights scheduled to depart from Terminal 1 till 2 pm have been cancelled. Flights scheduled to depart after 2 pm will be operated from Terminal 2 and 3, the Civil Aviation Minister said.
Earlier, the airlines had been advised to accommodate passengers on alternate flights or provide full refunds under the regulations, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Passengers will receive full refunds or have the option to rebook on alternative flights and routes.
Delhi has recorded 228.1 mm of rain in the past 24 hours in one of the wettest spells the capital has recorded in June, causing waterlogging in several parts of the national capital. In the three hours between 2.30 am and 5.30 am, Delhi saw over 150 mm of rainfall.
The highest ever rainfall recorded in 24 hours at Safdarjung, the primary observatory of Delhi, during the month of June was 235.5 mm on June 28, 1936.