'Ruckus, chaotic scenes': Mumbai Airport witnesses heavy rush in festive season; several flights delayed

As Navratri festivities have started with pomp and joy throughout the country, the Mumbai International Airport witnessed a heavy rush today, 8 October in the morning. The airport supposedly turned into a crowded and bustling railway station as the residents of Mumbai flocked to their hometowns to celebrate the festive season.A Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport spokesperson said that due to the onset of Navratri, there is a surge in the number of passengers flying to other cities. The spokesperson also observed that other airports in different cities have also witnessed similar experiences.Terminal 2 of the airport saw long queues at the security gates with passengers jostling amidst the chaos to board their flights. Many passengers missed their flights due to inadequate measures taken by the airport terminal which was unprepared to handle the surging crowd.Almost all flights got delayed and the few domestic flights that departed were the ones scheduled before 6 am like SpiceJet’s flights to Cochin, Air India’s flights to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Goa, and IndiGo’s flights to Udaipur and Kolkata. Most of the domestic flights after 6 am were delayed by an hour.Due to this rush, there has been the deployment of additional staff in order to ensure a quick and smooth passenger experience. The staff had also been given guidelines to make sure that COVID-19 protocols are being followed at the airport and while flying.Suresh Kakani, the additional Municipal Commissioner of the Brihammumbai Municipal Commission, said that the airport was instructed to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour. The health department staff was also asked to assist the airport officials as there is a high risk of passengers returning with COVID-19. Therefore, it was important to maintain social distancing, Kakani mentioned.An official at the Mumbai International Airport reported that some of the airlines were shifted to the Santacruz terminal as the airport authorities expected a rush. The airport also decided to reopen Terminal 1 in Parle from 20 October. Four airlines which are Star Air, GoFirst, AirAsia India, and TruJet will move their domestic flights to Terminal 1, Vile Parle of the Mumbai International Airport.Several people took to Twitter and shared their experiences at the airport.Comedian Atul Khatri tweeted a picture of the airport rush and joked, “Chaos at Mumbai Airport today. Thankfully I made it….for the free food at the lounge!”Musician Vishal Dadlani also tweeted, “ T2 AT CSMIA (Mumbai Airport) is in shambles. Literally feels like we are in the dark ages”.Keywords: Mumbai International Airport, Navratri Festival, Mumbai Delayed Flights, Air India, IndiGo