Heavy Rains Force Flight Diversions at Hyderabad International Airport
Operations at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport faced a temporary setback late Tuesday night as heavy rain and poor visibility led to the diversion of at least five incoming flights. The affected aircraft, arriving from cities including Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Jaipur, were redirected to alternate airports in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka due to adverse weather conditions.
According to airport sources, the weather event was sudden but not unexpected, with forecasts indicating persistent rainfall across the Greater Hyderabad region. Most of the flights were diverted to Bengaluru, with one redirected to Vijayawada. Flights resumed normal operations by Wednesday morning after visibility improved and weather conditions stabilised. The incident reflects growing concerns over the impact of extreme weather on aviation safety and urban infrastructure. With Hyderabad’s rapid urban expansion and intensifying monsoons, the airport’s capacity to handle such disruptions without major delays is increasingly under scrutiny. Experts suggest that urban drainage and real-time weather monitoring systems around airports must be strengthened to improve operational resilience.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Hyderabad, predicting continued rain and gusty winds through Wednesday. Authorities have been alerted about the possibility of waterlogging in low-lying areas, which could compound transportation challenges across the city. The weather department also issued alerts for multiple districts across Telangana, warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and surface winds ranging from 30–40 kmph. While flights have resumed, the broader civic infrastructure remains on alert, with emergency response teams monitoring flood-prone zones and transport corridors.
This weather-induced disruption highlights the urgency of integrating climate-adaptive planning in Hyderabad’s aviation and urban policies. With climate patterns shifting, airport infrastructure across Indian cities may increasingly face such unplanned interruptions, underlining the need for resilient planning to maintain public safety and mobility continuity.
