Maroc - POPDIARIES.COM - A La Une - 01/Jul 05:30

Closure of Delhi Airport Terminal 1: 22,615 passengers impacted; 9,972 received refunds.

Following the closure of T1 on Friday, flights were canceled, though there were no cancellations over the weekend as operations moved to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of the airport. The civil aviation ministry reported on Monday that a total of 22,615 passengers faced disruptions due to the closure of Delhi Airport Terminal 1 (T1) following a roof collapse on Friday. The statement further indicated that refunds had been issued to 9,972 passengers who had booked flights with IndiGo (9,431) and SpiceJet (541). Refunds for 196 passengers are still pending. Following the closure of T1 on Friday, flights were canceled, with operations smoothly transitioning to Terminal 2 (T2) and Terminal 3 (T3) of the airport over the weekend, resulting in no further cancellations. Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu visited the Airport Operations Control Centre and held meetings with officials from his ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), and airline operators. The purpose was to assess operations and passenger management following the relocation of flights from T1 to T2 and T3. "The assessment included extensive discussions aimed at ensuring operational efficiency and deploying extra personnel to handle the higher volume of passengers," stated the aviation ministry in its release. The statement further mentioned that the DGCA conducted a briefing on the activation of control centers, fostering close collaboration between DIAL and the airlines. "Naidu urged all stakeholders to uphold stringent protocols to guarantee smooth operations and prioritize the safety of passengers." Flight operations from T1 were halted indefinitely on Friday following a roof collapse caused by heavy rains and strong winds, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries. DIAL, attributing the collapse primarily to the heavy rainfall, established a technical committee on Friday to investigate the incident. They also announced compensation of ₹20 lakh to the family of the deceased and ₹3 lakh each to the injured individuals. READ MORE -  What Would Occur If Joe Biden Chose to Withdraw from the Presidential Race