Cyclone Vayu: AAI to close 5 airports in Gujarat for 24 hours from midnight; asks IAF to have no civil flights from Bhuj and Jamnagar

NEW DELHI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will suspend operation at five airports in Gujarat — Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla — for 24 hours from Wednesday-Thursday midnight due to the approaching cyclone Vayu.
AAI has also asked Indian Air Force to suspend civil flights from Bhuj and Jamnagar defence airports as well. The AAI is reviewing if flight operations can continue at Surat airport depending on weather conditions.
The state-run authority took the decision on Wednesday evening “keeping safety in mind; to minimise damage to airport infrastructure and to avoid inconvenience to any of stakeholders including passengers.”
These five airports have been closed till midnight of Thursday-Friday.
“The regional executive director (western region), AAI, and all airport directors in Gujarat have been advised to be in readiness to handle any exigency occurring out of this natural calamity and to issue appropriate NOTAM (notice to airmen). Equipment and heavy machinery have been moved to safety at respective airports and the airport directors of AAI’s Bhuj and Jamnagar airports have been asked to write to the Indian Air Force to suspend operations of civil flights from these two airports also,” AAI said in a statement.
“A decision in respect of suspending operations at AAI’s Surat airport will be taken after analysing the weather conditions,” the statement added.