Torrential monsoon rain continued to batter Mumbai through the weekend, severely impacting flight operations at the city’s airport. Poor visibility, intense rainfall and unsafe landing conditions forced multiple incoming flights to divert, while several departures and arrivals were delayed or cancelled as adverse weather persisted.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport witnessed significant disruption on Saturday as heavy rain reduced visibility and affected runway operations.
Five Mumbai-bound flights diverted due to unsafe landing conditions
According to airport officials, five Mumbai-bound flights were diverted to nearby airports after pilots encountered unstable landing approaches caused by heavy rain and poor visibility. The diverted flights included three operated by IndiGo and two by Air India.
Among the affected services:
- IndiGo flight 6E 594 from Raipur was diverted to Surat.
- IndiGo flight 6E 6544 from Varanasi was also rerouted to Surat.
- IndiGo flight 6E 6283 from Bengaluru was diverted to Ahmedabad.
- Air India flight AI 2963 from Delhi was diverted to Surat.
- Air India flight AI 472 from Chandigarh landed at Manohar International Airport.
Airport authorities said the diversions were carried out as a precaution after intense rainfall and reduced visibility made landing conditions unsafe.
Several aircraft forced into go-arounds before landing
Apart from the five diversions, pilots of 17 additional flights executed go-arounds (aborted landing attempts) before eventually landing safely once weather conditions improved. Of the five diverted flights, four later returned to Mumbai after conditions stabilised and normal landing operations resumed.
The prolonged spell of heavy rain also triggered delays and cancellations across both arrivals and departures, affecting passengers travelling to and from Mumbai. Airport authorities advised travellers to check the latest flight status with their respective airlines before heading to the airport, as weather-related disruptions continued.
