Severe cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ barrelled up India’s east coast on 28 October, forcing Visakhapatnam International Airport to cancel every one of its 32 scheduled movements—including Qatar Airways’ daily Doha service and IndiGo’s busy metros run. Airport Director N. Purushottam said the shutdown was ordered after wind speeds exceeded 80 km/h, breaching DGCA safety thresholds.
Airlines have waived re-issuance fees and offered full refunds, but with the airport serving both Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, the disruption has stranded an estimated 4,500 passengers. Port operations in the city have also been suspended, delaying project cargo destined for the neighbouring steel and pharma clusters.
The Indian Meteorological Department projects the cyclone will cross the coast near Kakinada early on 29 October, with heavy rain alerts for three districts. Business-travel risk managers are advising travellers to defer non-essential trips and to monitor airline notifications; rail services remain the best contingency, although sections of the coastal line face speed restrictions.
The incident is another reminder that India’s coastal airports lack all-weather secondary runways. A DPR for a greenfield airport at Bhogapuram—60 km away—has been pending environment clearance since 2024; its completion would give the region vital redundancy during extreme weather.
Airlines have waived re-issuance fees and offered full refunds, but with the airport serving both Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, the disruption has stranded an estimated 4,500 passengers. Port operations in the city have also been suspended, delaying project cargo destined for the neighbouring steel and pharma clusters.
The Indian Meteorological Department projects the cyclone will cross the coast near Kakinada early on 29 October, with heavy rain alerts for three districts. Business-travel risk managers are advising travellers to defer non-essential trips and to monitor airline notifications; rail services remain the best contingency, although sections of the coastal line face speed restrictions.
The incident is another reminder that India’s coastal airports lack all-weather secondary runways. A DPR for a greenfield airport at Bhogapuram—60 km away—has been pending environment clearance since 2024; its completion would give the region vital redundancy during extreme weather.
