A scary video of an IndiGo flight's attempted landing at the Chennai airport during unpleasant weather conditions caused by Cyclone Fangal has surfaced on the internet. The viral video, which THE WEEK couldn't independently verify, showed the IndiGo aircraft abruptly taking off after a touchdown attempt failed and its wings came dangerously close to the ground.
Challenging conditions at Chennai International airport as cyclone Fengal makes landfall near Puducherry and is likely to cross the Tamil Nadu coasts in the next three to four hours.
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) November 30, 2024
The cyclonic storm brought heavy rains in the coastal districts, inundating houses and… pic.twitter.com/1AUohfWfB9
The aircraft tilted to the left for a moment before regaining momentum to steady and flew towards the clouds, the videos showed. The flight captured in the viral video was an Airbus A320 neo plane, reports said.
While some said powerful crosswinds and low visibility should have forced the pilot to abort the landing plan and take off again, others were critical of the decision of the Chennai airport authorities to allow planes to land amidst such terrible conditions.
How Chennai airport braced for Cyclone Fengal
Abolsutely insane videos emerging of planes trying to land at the Chennai airport before it was closed off… Why were landings even attempted in such adverse weather? pic.twitter.com/JtoWEp6Tjd
— Akshita Nandagopal (@Akshita_N) December 1, 2024
Cyclone Fengal had caused operations at the Chennai airport to be suspended on Sunday. Although it resumed past midnight, many flights suffered cancellations and delays. As many as 24 domestic services were cancelled and 26 international flights, both arriving and departing were delayed, officials said.
Earlier on Friday, Chennai airport announced the suspension of operations till 4 am Sunday following the inundation of runways after heavy rains and the 'adverse weather condition' due to cyclone 'Fengal'. Over 50 flights have been cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports in Chennai and neighbouring states.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Fengal is stationary near Puducherry but might weaken in hours: IMD
Official sources here said apart from the cancellation of 55 flights, 19 others were diverted after two runways and the taxiway were inundated following heavy rains. The services include both domestic and international flights. Earlier in the day, when the airport was operational, at least 12 flights were delayed.
Cyclone Fengal: Latest updates
Cyclone Fengal killed at least 19 people in India and Sri Lanka and caused flooding in Tamil Nadu state and the Puducherry region after crossing India's southern coast from the Bay of Bengal on Saturday. Puducherry had been hit by the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years, the weather office said on social media on Sunday.
