Nearly 1,000 flights to be hit by airspace closure for R Day
New Delhi: Nearly 1,000 flights to and from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) will be cancelled or rescheduled in the run-up to Republic Day parade as airspace over Delhi will remain closed for about two hours every day for over a week.
An estimated 500 domestic flights could be cancelled and as many international flights will be rescheduled due to the restrictions, an airport official said, adding it was being done due to increased traffic and capacity constraints this year.
The airspace over Delhi remains shut for commercial flights due to rehearsals in the days leading to the Republic Day on January 26.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has issued a NOTAM or Notice to Airmen informing the airlines that no take-offs or landings would be allowed from or to Delhi airport from 10.35 am to 12.15 pm for nine days between January 18-26, according to airport sources.
IGI witnesses 67 air traffic movement (both take offs and landings) per hour between 8 am to 11 pm everyday. With airspace shut for 100 minutes for nine days, an estimated 1,000 flights will either be cancelled or rescheduled.
"On an average 100 flights will be affected every day. We will accommodate 40 international flights before or after the closure hours.
"Out of the remaining 60, we will try to reschedule some of the flights. So, we could see roughly 50 flights being cancelled each day," said an airport official.
The Delhi International Airport Limited, which operates IGI, says no international flights will be cancelled.
"Keeping in consideration the capacity constraints and to minimise inconvenience to the passengers, Airports Authority of India-Air Navigation Services, several major airlines and DIAL have consulted on various options and jointly agreed that the best and safest course of action is to cancel domestic flights scheduled during the NOTAM period.
"International carriers have been requested to re- schedule and not cancel their flights," said a DIAL spokesperson.
Airport officials say that while on earlier occasions they were able to reschedule most of the affected flights, severe capacity constraints at IGI mean that it can't be done anymore.
"Since we had spare capacity we were able to accommodate flights either before or after the closure hours. But because we don't have any spare capacity now, these flights have to be cancelled," said a source.
Also, the airspace closure has been extended by two days, as a result the restrictions are in place for nine days instead of seven days.
The airlines were asked to curtail operations for R-day on December 29, when the NOTAM was issued.
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Derogatory word against minister: AICC leader Surjewala calls for strict action against BJP MLC
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, on Monday urged the state government to take strict action against BJP MLC C T Ravi for allegedly using a derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council recently.
He called the BJP "anti women", and also hit out at the saffron party and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged remark against B R Ambedkar in the Parliament last week, which had led to a political uproar.
"The BJP has repeatedly insulted the women of this country. BJP's very character is anti women, anti youth, anti farmer and anti dalit, tribes and backward classes. The way in which BJP leaders are using derogatory language against women leaders once again is deplorable. I urge the Karnataka government to take strict action against the culprits," Surjewala told reporters here in response to a question.
Ravi allegedly used a derogatory word against Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on December 19 during an altercation between them, when the House was adjourned for a while. He was arrested on the same day evening and taken into the police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, where the legislature session was held, based on Hebbalkar's complaint.
The High Court on December 20 ordered the immediate release of Ravi in its interim order, observing that police failed to follow the procedures in arresting him. However, the bench of Justice M G Uma asked Ravi to co-operate with the investigation and be available for questioning.
Responding to a question on alleged use of a derogatory word against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which purportedly had led to altercation between Ravi and Minister Hebbalkar, Surjewala said, whether it is Mahatma Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, they will have to face opposition from forces that is trying to divide the country.
"Some people have lost their mental stability and they only try to divert attention. They will make fun of Babasaheb Ambedkar, they will try to bulldoze the Constitution. When Amit Shah himself is abusing and making fun of the framers of the Constitution like -- Babasaheb Ambedkar, will they leave Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) and Rahul Gandhi? This very ideology had opposed Mahatma Gandhi when he was alive and...," he said.
