VISAKHAPATNAM, India — October 27, 2026 — Cyclone Arnab has started cancelling and diverting flights at Visakhapatnam’s Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (VTZ) as the storm heads for the Andhra Pradesh coast, where it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning, October 28.
Flights affected
- Tuesday, October 27: By noon, four Air India Express flights linking Visakhapatnam with Hyderabad and Bengaluru were listed as cancelled, and four IndiGo flights were diverted (YoVizag). The Hans India reported 16 cancellations at Visakhapatnam that day.
- Chennai link: IndiGo cancelled its Chennai–Visakhapatnam flight (4 pm departure) and the Visakhapatnam–Chennai return (due 8 pm) on Tuesday.
- Wednesday, October 28: The status of Visakhapatnam flights had not been announced: TBA. Chennai airport authorities said further changes would depend on the cyclone’s wind speed and track.
Airline advisories
| Airline | What it said |
|---|---|
| Air India and Air India Express | Weather from the cyclone may affect flights to and from Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada; check flight status online; road travel may be slow, so allow extra time to reach the airport |
| IndiGo | Flights to and from Visakhapatnam are affected; passengers are being contacted; on cancelled flights, choose a refund or an alternate flight through its “Plan B” option |
No fee waivers were mentioned in the reports.
The storm
- At 11:30 am on Tuesday, India’s weather office (IMD) placed Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal about 170 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
- It was expected to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, by Wednesday forenoon, with maximum sustained winds of 125–135 km/h gusting to 150 km/h.
- IMD forecast extremely heavy rain for Visakhapatnam through October 29, with winds in the city of 60–70 km/h and gusts up to 80 km/h on October 28.
- Andhra Pradesh is on high alert, with evacuations planned. Several trains have also been cancelled.
What it means for travelers
- Do not plan on Visakhapatnam on October 28. With landfall expected Wednesday morning and heavy rain through October 29, treat any flight into or out of VTZ on those days as at risk.
- Recovery flights will be full. Passengers from cancelled flights will be rebooked onto the first flights after the storm, so seats on October 29 and the days after are likely to be very scarce.
- Getting there by ground is not a safe fallback. Airlines warn that roads may be affected and several trains are cancelled, so flying to a nearby city and finishing by road or rail may not work either.
- Check before you go. Wednesday’s flight status is TBA; check Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo flight status before going to the airport.
Sources
- YoVizag, “Cyclone Arnab Disrupts Flights Across Andhra Pradesh” — yovizag.com
- The Hans India, “Cyclone Arnab Hits Air Services: 21 Flights from Vijayawada and Vizag Cancelled” — thehansindia.com
- DT Next, “Cyclone Arnab: Four flights cancelled at Chennai airport” — dtnext.in
- Curly Tales, “Cyclone Arnab: Air India & IndiGo Issue Flight Advisories, Several Trains Cancelled” — curlytales.com
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