Chennai: The otherwise busy international terminal at Chennai airport is devoid of the usual hustle and bustle after the COVID-19 grounded many flights. According to airport officials, the international arrivals have dropped by 22-26 per cent due to cancellation. Meanwhile, the domestic terminal is witnessing a 3 to 4 per cent slump in the numbers.
Officials told The New Indian Express, “Now, you have travel restrictions from Kuwait. Even flights to Qatar have come down. Singapore Airlines has already cancelled couple of flights. On Sunday, even the Japan Airlines flight did not arrive and Cathay Pacific has also cancelled some services.”
As many flyers choose not to travel due to the virus scare, some airlines are operating ‘ghost’ flights- with no passengers - in order to hang on to take-off and landing slots. “We have been witnessing this phenomenon for some days now. Many flights having a capacity of 290 will have just 40 passengers. This is forcing many airlines to cut down on frequencies,” the airport official said. The official also said departures have also come down by 10 to 12 per cent. Sources in the airline industry said that to stimulate the domestic sector, many airlines could cut fares to remain afloat but it needs to be seen whether domestic passengers prefer to stay grounded or take the risk and travel on cheaper fares.
10/03/20 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express
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Officials told The New Indian Express, “Now, you have travel restrictions from Kuwait. Even flights to Qatar have come down. Singapore Airlines has already cancelled couple of flights. On Sunday, even the Japan Airlines flight did not arrive and Cathay Pacific has also cancelled some services.”
As many flyers choose not to travel due to the virus scare, some airlines are operating ‘ghost’ flights- with no passengers - in order to hang on to take-off and landing slots. “We have been witnessing this phenomenon for some days now. Many flights having a capacity of 290 will have just 40 passengers. This is forcing many airlines to cut down on frequencies,” the airport official said. The official also said departures have also come down by 10 to 12 per cent. Sources in the airline industry said that to stimulate the domestic sector, many airlines could cut fares to remain afloat but it needs to be seen whether domestic passengers prefer to stay grounded or take the risk and travel on cheaper fares.
10/03/20 C Shivakumar/New Indian Express
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