Flight ops at Ranchi airport unaffected post Army ops

Ranchi: While many airlines suspended flight operations due to airport closure and airspace restrictions mainly in northern part of the country post Operation Sindoor on Wednesday, operations from Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport remained completely unaffected. A total of 26 scheduled flights took off and landed without any disruption, connecting Ranchi to eight major Indian cities, including Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Chennai, officials said.Talking to TOI, airport director R R Mourya confirmed the smooth functioning of the day's schedule. "All 26 scheduled flights operated without delay or cancellation. Passengers remained calm, and our coordination with airlines and security agencies ensured uninterrupted service," he said.Airport terminal manager P K. Mishra said, "We had six departures to Delhi throughout the day, along with flights to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata post 4 pm. Our flight movement remained as per schedule, and we were in constant touch with the airlines and air traffic control to monitor any developments that could impact operations."In anticipation of city traffic disruptions due to a scheduled mock drill by the local administration between 4 pm and 7 pm, many travellers of the 26 flights, chose to reach the airport much earlier than usual."I came to the airport four hours early today, just to be safe. I have a 6:30 pm flight to Hyderabad and was worried there might be sudden checks or traffic blocks because of the security situation," said Meera Verma, a school teacher from Surendranath Centenary School travelling for a family function.Another traveller, Rohit Vaibhav, who was flying to Delhi with a connecting international flight to Dubai, shared his change of plans. "I was supposed to board a Dubai-bound flight from Delhi tomorrow morning, but given the current situation in the country, I've decided to stay at a friend's place in Delhi for a day or two until the environment feels safer. Better to wait it out than take a risk," he said.Although no emergency mock drills were conducted on Wednesday at the airport, officials clarified that such drills are routinely held. "We did not conduct a mock drill today as it could have been confusing during such a sensitive time. We conduct these exercises every six months. The last full-scale drill simulating a hijack scenario was successfully carried out on April 28," said Mourya.