Visakhapatnam: Flight operations across Andhra Pradesh were thrown into disarray on Tuesday as Cyclone Montha lashed the region with heavy rainfall and gusty winds, prompting airlines to suspend several services for safety reasons.

At least 30 flights were cancelled from Vijayawada’s Gannavaram International Airport, while operations at Visakhapatnam Airport were completely suspended. The cyclone also disrupted services at Rajahmundry and Hyderabad’s Shamshabad Airport, where 18 flights between Telangana and coastal Andhra cities were called off as a precautionary measure.

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Air India Express and IndiGo cancel multiple services

Air India Express cancelled several services connecting Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Sharjah. The affected flights included IX 2819 (Vizag–Vijayawada), IX 2862 (Vijayawada–Hyderabad), IX 2875 (Bengaluru–Vijayawada), IX 2876 (Vijayawada–Bengaluru), IX 976 (Sharjah–Vijayawada), IX 975 (Vijayawada–Sharjah), and IX 2743 (Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Vizag).

IndiGo Airlines was also forced to cancel nine flights from Vijayawada alone — six arrivals and three departures — due to poor weather and visibility issues. Cancelled arrivals included services from Rajahmundry (6E7734), Vijayawada (6E7139, 6E7263), and Visakhapatnam (6E6089, 6E0845, 6E0881), while departures to Vijayawada (6E7291), Rajahmundry (6E7172), and Visakhapatnam (6E0917) were also called off.

Visakhapatnam and Chennai operations worst hit

In Chennai, at least nine IndiGo flights connecting the city with Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam were cancelled. In Visakhapatnam, all 42 scheduled IndiGo flights were grounded for the day. An IndiGo service from Delhi to Visakhapatnam was diverted to Bhubaneswar late Sunday as weather conditions deteriorated.

Airlines including IndiGo and Air India Express have advised passengers to check flight status updates before travelling to the airport and to allow extra time owing to traffic congestion and waterlogging around terminals. Flexible rebooking and cancellation options have been announced for affected passengers.

IMD issues red alert for coastal Andhra

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several coastal districts, forecasting heavy rainfall and strong winds reaching 80–90 kmph over the next 24 hours. Airports in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada remain on high alert, with contingency plans in place for extended closures if weather conditions worsen.