Several flights diverted due to low clouds over Goa airport, hundreds stranded

Hundreds of passengers were stranded for hours at the Goa Airport on Wednesday after 16 flights were diverted due to low-hanging clouds this afternoon, a senior official said.

Director of the airport B C H Negi said that 16 flights scheduled to land at the airport were diverted to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other airports after low clouds formed over the landing area.

Flight operations were stopped between 2 PM to 6 PM, Negi said.  The number of cancelled flights was yet to be ascertained, the airport director said Witnesses said that several hundred passengers were stranded at the airport.  Goa has been receiving incessant rain since morning and as per the Met department, spells of heavy to very heavy showers would continue till June 22.

Negi said airlines were making alternative arrangements for the stranded passengers. “They will be either accommodated in other flights or flown by scheduled flights,” he said.