The Civil Aviation Ministry, in an advisory this evening, has asked airlines to ensure there are no "abnormal surcharges" on flights to and from Delhi. This as Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 1 was forced to suspend operations after a portion of the roof in the departure complex collapsed.
"In view of the unfortunate incident at Terminal T1D IGIA, Delhi, all airlines are advised to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Delhi and take necessary action regarding the same. Further, cancellations and rescheduling of flights due to the incident may be done without penal charges," the ministry said in a post on X.
Earlier, the ministry had suspended all departures from Terminal 1, which handles around 1,400 domestic flights daily, till midnight. Low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet, which operate their domestic flights from Terminal 1, have cancelled several flights and temporarily moved other operations to Terminals 2 and 3.
With operations hit and flights cancelled, the civil aviation ministry stepped in to ensure passengers were not charged more on the Delhi route.
War Room
The ministry has also decided to set up a 24X7 war room so that passengers on flights that have been cancelled get a full refund or fresh tickets. The refunds will be processed within seven days.
Giving a list of helplines (below) for the war room, a ministry statement said measures will also be implemented to handle the additional stress on Terminals 2 and 3 because of the temporary closure of Terminal 1. These decisions were taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu.
Roof Collapse
Around 5 am today, the roof sheet and the pillars supporting them came crashing down, killing one person, injuring at least six others, and affecting flight ops in one of the world's busiest airports.
Mr Kinjarapu rushed to the airport this morning and inspected the damage as well as rescue efforts.
"Following the collapse of the Delhi T1 terminal this morning, I have personally inspected the site. Our immediate priority was the safe evacuation of all passengers from the terminal," Mr Kinjarapu said, adding that he would see that a thorough examination of the terminal's structure is conducted by experts to ensure safety.
Heavy Rain In Delhi
Delhi received heavy rain for the second consecutive day today, bringing much-need respite from an unprecedented months-long heatwave. The national capital logged nearly 230 mm of rainfall between 8:30 am on Thursday and 8:30 am today, marking the highest 24-hour rainfall in June since 1936.
The torrential downpour brought life to a standstill in several parts of the National Capital Region. Visuals showed inundated roads, long meandering traffic in most areas of the city, submerged cars vehicles, and stranded people on the roads.
Helplines
IndiGo
T2 Terminal: 7428748308
T3 Terminal: 7428748310
SpiceJet
T3 Terminal: 0124 - 4983410/0124 - 7101600
9711209864 (Mr Rohit)
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