Heavy rains disrupt flights at Mumbai airport

Flight operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) have been severely hit by heavy rainfall and strong winds over the past three days, forcing dozens of aircraft to either circle before landing or divert to other airports.

Between August 18 and August 20, a total of 42 flights were forced into go-arounds and 12 were diverted, according to data available with Flightradar. On August 18 alone, 10 go-arounds and one diversion were recorded. The following day saw the worst impact, with 24 go-arounds and 11 diversions between midnight and 7 pm. On August 20, eight flights were forced into go-arounds until 7 pm, according to sources.

Alongside airborne disruptions, delays piled up for both domestic and international passengers. Flightradar data shows that over the past three days, more than 250 departing flights from Mumbai ran late, while close to 200 incoming services also faced delays. On Tuesday, August 20, delays peaked, with 155 departing flights and 102 arrivals running behind schedule. Average delays hovered around 45 minutes.


The disruption comes amid relentless rainfall across Mumbai and its suburbs, which has triggered widespread waterlogging and slowed down citywide mobility. Several airlines, including IndiGo, have issued advisories urging passengers to leave early for the airport given flooded access roads and heavy traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has placed Mumbai and neighbouring districts under a red alert, warning of extremely heavy showers and strong winds. Over 200 mm of rainfall has been recorded in multiple parts of the city in the past 24 hours, with the eastern suburb of Vikhroli receiving the heaviest downpour at 255.5 mm.