Govt advises airlines to check surge in airfares following Delhi airport's roof collapse

On June 28 morning, a roof at Delhi airport’s terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am after heavy rainfall in the national capital, killing one and injuring several others.

The civil aviation ministry on June 28 urged all the airlines to monitor any surge in airfares to and from Delhi, the ministry said in a post on social media platform X.

“In view of the unfortunate incident at Terminal T1D IGIA, Delhi, all airlines are advised to monitor any abnormal surge in airfares to and from Delhi and take necessary action regarding the same,” it said.

The ministry also said that cancellations and rescheduling of flights following the collapse of a canopy at the terminal may be done without penal charges.

On June 28 morning, a roof at Delhi airport’s terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am after heavy rainfall in the national capital, killing one and injuring several others.

Following the incident, flight operations have been suspended at T1 till further notice.

“As a precautionary measure, all flight operations from Terminal 1 have been suspended till further notice and rescheduled by the respective airlines to operate from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, till the impacted areas are restored for operations,” a DIAL spokesperson said.

#6ETravelAdvisory: #DelhiAirport Terminal 1 Update - We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to those whose travel plans have been disrupted due to structural damage to T1 caused by adverse weather this morning.

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) June 28, 2024

T1 is used for domestic flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet and the incident forced these airlines to shift their operations to T2 and T3.

"Due to the unforeseen situation at T1 this morning, all flights from Delhi airport T1 have been cancelled until 0000 hrs, June 29. Further, flights due to arrive at T1, will now arrive either at T2 or T3 in Delhi," IndiGo said in a post on X.

SpiceJet also announced that all affected flights departing from Terminal 1 are being re-accommodated to Terminal 3. "Due to heavy traffic congestion enroute Delhi Airport, all passengers are requested to ensure sufficient travel time and keep a check on their flight status," it said.

The airport’s operator DIAL said it has constituted a technical committee to probe the incident and “the primary cause of the accident seems to be continued heavy rainfall”.

The incident damaged 4 vehicles and 8 individuals received minor injuries and were provided immediate medical assistance, a DIAL spokesperson said. The airport operator also announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 3 lakh each to those who received minor injuries announced by Delhi airport.

DIAL said it is working with all relevant agencies, including Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), to assess the situation and restore operations.

India Meteorological Department's Safdarjung airport observatory recorded 234.5mm rainfall between 1st June-28th June, the third highest in last 124 years, the met department said.