Cyclone Fani: Kolkata Airport to be closed today, Bhubaneshwar flights cancelled

Cyclone Fani hit Puri, Odisha around 8 AM and triggered heavy rainfall that coupled with high-velocity winds with speed of 175 Kmph. The current status is that the government of West Bengal is also ready for cyclone Fani and they have started preparing for it. According to a media report, no flights will take off or land from Kolkata airport.

The report suggests, Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport will be closed from 3 PM today to 8 AM tomorrow. Al flights from Odisha capital Bhubaneswar have already been called off from midnight as the cyclone has reported extremely severe cyclone.

Indian aviation regulator DGCA in an advisory said the flights are being cancelled in advance to avoid passenger inconvenience and safety of operations. The flights will be resumed after the positive clearance from respective air traffic control.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu also tweeted, "All airlines are requested to offer all assistance for rescue and relief operations in view of #CyclonicStormFANI All relief material should be airlifted to be delivered to officially designated agencies We all in #aviation sector must rise to occasion. Controll room being set up"

The army, navy, air force, coast guard and disaster management authorities are already on stand-by. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even reviewed all the preprations for Cyclone Fani with his senior officers on Thursday.

Also Read - Video: Cyclone Fani makes landfall in Odisha, wreaks havoc