Closure causes more than five-fold surge in ticket prices; international flights cheaper than domestic travel; an earlier statement issued by the airport said that the scheduled closure was designed to ensure continued safety, reliability and compliance with global aviation standards
Terminal 2 wears a deserted look after operations AT CSMIA were suspended due to annual maintenance work on Thursday. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Annual post-monsoon maintenance work was taken up at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Thursday, with the airport being closed for operations for six hours between 11 am and 5 pm, as scheduled earlier this month.
An earlier statement issued by the airport said that the scheduled closure was designed to ensure continued safety, reliability and compliance with global aviation standards.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued in advance, allowing airlines and other stakeholders to adjust flight schedules and manpower planning accordingly.
Passengers unaware
As the airport paused operations at 11 am on Thursday, the arrival gates at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 fell silent, which is a rare sight. But many passengers who had flights after 5 pm arrived early. “We did not know about the pause in operations. We arrived early as my plan was to meet up with my friends and then travel to Coimbatore together,” said Dr Bipin Vashi.
As Dr Vashi had planned out his trip earlier and booked tickets a month in advance, he did not face the surge in prices seen now. On some routes, prices have gone as high as Rs 26,000. A Mumbai-Delhi direct flight from the airline SpiceJet was seen charging Rs 25,340 per seat.
Surging fares
The price of tickets on Mumbai-Hyderabad direct flights, which usually go for around Rs 4000, went up to Rs 17,873 on Thursday. Many on social media sites were seen comparing international flights out of Mumbai, which were costing less than domestic flights on Thursday. Similarly, flight ticket prices from Bengaluru to Mumbai, usually in the range of Rs 3400-Rs 7000, surged to Rs 25,000.
Surya S and Deepika Arjuna, who flew in from Bengaluru for a conference, ended up paying Rs 25,000 per ticket. “We didn’t know much about the runway maintenance at Mumbai airport, and since it was a last-minute flight that we had to book, we paid the cost that was shown to us. Our flight was also delayed for an hour,” Surya said.
A passenger flying in from Delhi, requesting anonymity, told mid-day, “It is as if we have to pay for the six hours that flights don’t fly, and for someone who is booking a ticket at the last moment out of compulsion, it’s a lot of money to shell out.”
‘Maintenance done’
Sources at the airport told mid-day that all maintenance was done properly, and no issues were found in the runway and surrounding infrastructure. “All the lights, surfaces, etc were checked, and any small repairs necessary were done. This exercise, carried out every year, helps the airport avoid any accidents or issues with flights,” said a source at the airport.
While the maintenance was necessary and important, the surge in flight prices has caused passengers financial strain.
Six
No. of hours airport operations were suspended
Citizens speak
Dr Bipin Vashi, a commuter
‘We did not know about the pause in operations. We arrived early as my plan was to meet up with my friends and then travel to Coimbatore together’
Surya S and Deepika Arjuna, commuters
‘We didn’t know much about the runway maintenance at Mumbai airport, and since it was a last-minute flight that we had to book, we paid the cost that was shown to us’
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