Kolkata: Heavy overnight rain and waterlogging on the airport access roads brought air travel in and out of Kolkata to a crawl on Friday, delaying multiple flights, disrupting airline schedules, and leaving thousands of passengers stranded on flooded roads and at the airport. Though no flight was cancelled, several departures were delayed after crew members had a tough time reaching the airport.Two of the main approach roads to Kolkata airport — VIP Road and the Chinar Park stretch — were severely waterlogged, leading to slow traffic and vehicles getting stranded for hours. Police personnel waded through knee-deep water with loudhailers, urging motorists to avoid the Chinar Park stretch and take alternative routes.As the day progressed, airlines struggled to realign schedules with crew members caught in traffic. Several carriers issued travel advisories, warning passengers of delays caused by the weather and asking them to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.Those travelling through Chinar Park and the Haldiram’s crossing on VIP Road found themselves trapped in long traffic snarls. Some also missed their flights despite airlines delaying departures. An app cab was submerged at the waterlogged Haldiram’s intersection. “My cousin’s cab got stuck on a waterlogged stretch near Chinar Park. When the driver refused to move further, my cousin had to wade through waist-deep water carrying his trolley. He walked up to Kaikhali, took a bike to just outside the airport, and then ran to the terminal. By then, the boarding gates had closed,” said Sneha Sarkar, a Tiljala resident.Scenes at the airport reflected the disruption outside. Passengers rushed into the terminal as soon as they stepped out of vehicles, hoping to make flights that had already been rescheduled. Inside, many were left waiting for hours as airlines grappled with delayed crew arrivals and revised flight timings.SpiceJet, in a post on X, said heavy rain in Kolkata could affect all arrivals and departures. . Raj Bagri, who flew in from Bengaluru, said his IndiGo flight landed at 11.05 pm on Thursday. “We were not allotted an aerobridge and had to remain inside the aircraft for 20 minutes. The ground staff escorted us one by one with umbrellas so we could take the bus. The process took around 45 minutes. It took me nearly 70 minutes after landing to leave the airport,” he wrote on X.
