INDIA: Passengers in Mumbai affected by international flight cancellations

Record ID: 1377074

  • Title: INDIA: Passengers in Mumbai affected by international flight cancellations
  • Date: 18th April 2010
  • Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (APRIL 17, 2010) (ANI) EXTERIORS OF THE CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN INDIA'S WESTERN MUMBAI CITY AIR PASSENGERS STANDING WITH THEIR LUGGAGE FOREIGN PASSENGER QUESTIONING AN OFFICIAL PASSENGERS STANDING AT THE ENTRANCE PASSENGERS RESTING ON GROUND MONITOR SHOWING FLIGHT INFORMATION PASSENGERS LOOKING AT THE MONITOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER, GEO, SAYING: "I came over here and I searched, then I came to know that my flight has been cancelled. I come here all the way from Vasai and spent 1,500 rupees for taxi. The authorities must have informed us that your flight has been cancelled but they didn't bother to inform us even though I have the confirmed ticket." (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREGORY D'SILVA, ANOTHER PASSENGER, SAYING: "Nobody has informed me. (Q: Why your flight was cancelled?) They are saying that it is because of volcanic eruption�������the air space in England is covered with volcanic smoke." STRANDED PASSENGERS RESTING PASSENGERS SLEEPING ON FOOTPATH GENERAL VIEWS OF THE AIRPORT
  • Embargoed: 4th May 2010 03:55
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA8IYNRYONMQSSE2AZN3L9TLON6
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Passengers are facing huge delays at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in India's western Mumbai city as international air service disruptions intensify after a cloud of ash from a volcano in Iceland spreads across Europe.
    Hundreds of air passengers are facing huge delays at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Intarnational Airport in India's western Mumbai city as flights continued to be cancelled after a cloud of ash from a volcano in Iceland spread across Europe on Saturday (April 17).
    All the flights of national carrier Air India from Mumbai to the US, Canada, and London have been called off.
    The flights flying towards India are also delayed indefinitely, causing inconvenience to the passengers.
    At least one passenger accused authorities of mismanagement.
    "I came over here and I searched, then I came to know that my flight has been cancelled. I come here all the way from Vasai and spent 1,500 rupees for taxi. The authorities must have informed us that your flight has been cancelled but they didn't bother to inform us even though I have the confirmed ticket," complained Geo.
    "Nobody has informed me," added Gregory d'Silva, another passenger.
    A huge ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano spread out across Europe on Friday (April 16) causing chaos in air travel on a scale not seen since the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001, and costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars.
    The volcano is shooting plumes of glass and rock-filled ash into the atmosphere, which can cause a plane's engines to fail.
    Britain, France and Germany's airports have shut down until at least Saturday, with more than 17,000 flights cancelled around the globe.
    Officials said the volcano under southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier was still spewing magma, and though the eruption could abate in the coming days, ash would continue drifting across the skies of Europe.
    Volcanic ash contains tiny particles of glass and pulverized rock that can damage engines and airframes.
    Of the 28,000 flights that usually travel through European airspace on an average day, European aviation control agency Eurocontrol said it expected only 11,000 to operate on Friday while only about a third of transatlantic flights were arriving.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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