As torrential rains pound southern and western India, UAE residents returning from summer vacations are facing severe floods, roadblocks, and hours-long delays to reach the airport. Panic has taken over many families as district authorities issue red alerts, reservoirs release excess water, local trains are canceled, and roads are submerged under knee-deep water.
“When the authorities announced the release of water from the Linganamakki reservoir, I knew things could get out of control,” said Asif Sheikh, a Dubai-based sales supervisor who traveled back from Honnavara, Uttara Kannada in Karnataka.
“It usually takes me about 3.5 hours to reach Mangalore airport. This time, it took 7 hours. I left a day early to ensure I didn’t miss my flight,” Asif explained.
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He arrived at the airport nearly eight hours before departure and spent the night waiting for his IndiGo flight to Dubai. “It was raining heavily during the road journey. We had to drive with extreme caution. In some towns, roads were blocked. Back home, it continues to rain heavily,” he added.
“We don’t usually leave so early, but we had no choice this time. Missing the flight would mean spending another Dh2,000 to Dh3,000 on a new ticket,” he said.
Travelers from southern India aren’t the only ones facing difficulties. The situation in western India, particularly Maharashtra, is also dire. Mumbai has experienced heavy rains over the past few days, delaying numerous flights. Authorities issued a red alert on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Flight Radar 24, over 150 departures and nearly 100 arrivals were delayed on Tuesday alone. The airport has posted an advisory on their website, stating they are operational and urging passengers to arrive early and stay in contact with their airlines.
Abhishek Patil, a production manager at a food company in Abu Dhabi, left his hometown of Ratnagiri with his wife and three children in a state of panic. “When we heard about blocked roads and canceled local trains, we decided to reach Mumbai a day early,” he said.
“We stayed in a hotel, but getting from the hotel to the airport took nearly four hours due to waterlogged roads. Cars were breaking down on the way, and people were pushing their vehicles.”
His flight to Abu Dhabi was delayed by 2 hours, resulting in the family spending about 10 hours at the airport. “Our children were exhausted, but at least we made it. In such weather, anything can go wrong.”
Even Mumbai residents are struggling to reach the airport on time. Kruthika Nair, a PR executive living in Dombivli and working in Dubai, said she left home 10 hours before her SpiceJet flight to Dubai. “Local trains were halted, roads were submerged. The 45-km journey to the airport took six hours,” she said.
“I couldn’t eat or drink much on the way because I was stressed about not making it to the airport,” Nair added. Although her flight departed only an hour late, she said it was one of the most stressful days of her life. “This was one of the toughest journeys I’ve ever had. One lesson learned is to avoid traveling to Mumbai during the monsoon,” Nair concluded.
With more heavy rains forecasted and red alerts issued, travelers from rain-hit Indian states are leaving home at least 8 to 10 hours early to avoid missing their flights back to the UAE.
