Mumbai rain & dust storm: Flight operations resumed at international airport after more than an hour's delay

After suspending flight operations for around 66 minutes today, May 13, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) resumed operations at 5.03 PM, said an official statement from Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).

Due to the dust storms, low visibility, and gusty winds in the city, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) temporarily suspended flight operations and witnessed 15 diversions.

Heavy rain and gusting winds slammed Mumbai and surrounding metropolitan regions today, May 13, reducing visibility to 300 meters and interrupting Metro and local train services. 

The dust storm, something rare for coastal Mumbai, whipped up suddenly with strong gusty winds around 3 PM and within minutes, enveloped almost the entire city, dipping visibility, darkening the atmosphere and hampering movement of vehicular traffic and pedestrians. 

"Take-off and landing operations were suspended in the wake of heavy rainfall and dust storms in the financial capital," according to the reports. Flight operations were suspended for 30 minutes at the Mumbai International Airport, and will be resumed shortly as the weather clears up.

In a social media post, Vistara wrote, "#DiversionUpdate: Flight UK562 from Jaipur to Mumbai (JAI-BOM) has been diverted to Goa (GOX) due to bad weather at Mumbai airport and is expected to arrive in Goa at 1720 hours. Please stay tuned for further updates."

Low-cost airline Indigo also informed on X and wrote, "#6ETravelAdvisory : The dust storm has returned, this time over #Mumbai. Potential air traffic congestion is expected, so keep a tab on your flight status https://bit.ly/3DNYJqj Plan your journey to the airport accordingly and have a safe trip."

In its local forecast for Mumbai city and suburbs for the next 24 hours, the regional meteorological center said in a post on X in Marathi, "Unsettled cloudy sky with possibility of light  rain/thundershower in evening/night. Maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 35°C and 28°C respectively."

CSMIA last week completed its pre-monsoon runway maintenance successfully, ensuring safe and smooth aircraft operations.

In a post on X on May 9, CSMIA said, "Mumbai Airport is prepared for the monsoon as it has successfully completed the runway repair and maintenance work. From identifying and inspecting water-log prone areas to conducting health checks on runways, our pre-monsoon preparedness is on track."

"The runway closure is a yearly practice and contingency plan on the same helps maintain operational continuity and ensures passenger safety. We thank all our key stakeholders involved, along with our passengers for their utmost cooperation and support," the tweet added.

Committed to efficiency and passenger safety, the airport remains steadfast in prioritizing seamless operations, the statement read. 

With agency inputs