Nine Mumbai Flights Diverted and 356 Delayed Due to Wednesday Rain
Torrential downpours on Wednesday forced nine Mumbai-bound flights to abort their landing attempts at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and divert to alternative regional airports. While all nine diverted flights eventually returned and landed at CSMIA later in the day, the inclement weather and separate operational issues triggered widespread disruptions, leading to 16 flight cancellations and 356 delays.
The diversions affected both domestic and international carriers, forcing aircraft to land at airports in Vadodara, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Surat, and Indore. Air Traffic Control and airport teams worked to manage the sudden changes in flight paths as the heavy rain battered the city.
Among the diverted flights was Air India flight AI 2975 from Delhi, which was rerouted to Vadodara, and Air India flight AI 2626 from Hyderabad, which diverted to Indore. IndiGo experienced multiple diversions, including flight 6E 2189 from Bhubaneswar, which was sent to Hyderabad; flight 6E 6278 from Mopa, diverted to Ahmedabad; flight 6E 5060 from Vadodara, diverted to Surat; and flight 6E 6348 from Chennai, which also diverted to Hyderabad.
International flights were similarly impacted by the severe weather. Emirates flight EK504 from Dubai and British Airways flight BA 135 from London Heathrow were both diverted to Bengaluru. Additionally, Oman Air flight WY 201 from Muscat was rerouted to Hyderabad.
Beyond the diversions, CSMIA recorded 16 flight cancellations and 356 delayed operations over the course of Wednesday. According to airport sources, the delays and cancellations were linked to various operational issues not directly caused by the weather.
Major domestic carriers, including IndiGo and Air India, issued urgent passenger advisories throughout the day. The airlines warned of ongoing schedule disruptions and urged travelers to check their flight statuses online before attempting to navigate Mumbai's heavily waterlogged roads to reach the airport terminals.
In response to the severe weather conditions, airport teams and Air Traffic Control were placed on high alert. With weather forecasts indicating that heavy precipitation will persist, officials plan to keep the airport's single runway under close operational watch over the next 24 hours to ensure safety.
