Adverse Weather – Flight Schedules Go for a Toss
Mangaluru: Arrivals and departures at the Mangaluru international airport were disrupted on account of poor visibility caused by weather conditions in rain on Sunday.
Pounding rain and fog prevented a few flights from landing. U T Khader, who had taken over as minister for food and civil supplies and also performed the Umrah pilgrimage, was to fly to the city to address a media meet as also to attend a few programmes in the city.
Thereafter, he was to fly back to Bengaluru at 10 pm so as to enable himself to attend a meeting convened by the chief minister on Monday. All programmes of his in the city had to be cancelled as he stayed back in Bengaluru.
The flight took off the Bengaluru airport and arrived here around 4-10 pm. Finding landing difficult, the plane made rounds over the airport for some time. The pilots found the fuel level low and had to divert back to Bengaluru. Sandalwood actor of Kundapur origin, Upendra, too was on the same flight, on his way to attend a private function.
The flight, with a few passengers backing out, finally landed in the city at 7-30 pm. A JetAir flight from Mumbai to the city via Bengaluru and another from Bengaluru, expected to land at 3-30 pm and 4-10 pm respectively, were forced to divert to Bengaluru. They could finally land here at 6-45 pm and 7-20 pm respectively.
A flight from Doha which had to arrive at 4 pm had a delayed landing in the airport.