The Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, witnessed major disruption in air services on Tuesday as runway repair work began, leading to the cancellation of 54 flights in a single day. Only one flight to and from Delhi could operate due to safety restrictions, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
As per the Airport Authority of India (AAI), flights were scheduled to run from 5 a.m. to 12 noon, but due to the ongoing maintenance, operations remained largely suspended. Normally, Chandigarh handles around 12 daily flights to Delhi, but on Tuesday, only one aircraft made a round trip between the two cities.
Airport CEO Ajay Verma confirmed that from Wednesday onwards, efforts are being made to resume limited flights to Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad for passenger convenience. Full operations are expected to normalize from November 7, when the winter flight schedule comes into effect.
Meanwhile, the impact of suspended flights has spilled over to the rail network. Delhi-bound trains such as Vande Bharat, Shatabdi, and Jan Shatabdi Express are now running at full capacity, with waiting lists touching 20 passengers in several classes. Due to the surge in demand, Indian Railways implemented flexi fares, leading to a noticeable hike in ticket prices.
Airline fares have also skyrocketed, with tickets on the Delhi–Chandigarh route rising to ₹15,000, compared to the usual ₹4,000–₹5,000 range. The disruption has further affected courier and cargo operations from the Tricity region. On average, around 40 quintals of parcels and documents are dispatched daily from the airport, which now stand delayed for the next few days. Officials stated that the runway repair work will continue until November 6, after which normal flight operations are expected to gradually resume. Passengers have been advised to check flight schedules and confirm bookings with their airlines before heading to the airport.