CAB protests: Flights to and from Assam canceled due to unrest

 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Major airlines canceled flights to various places in Assam due to unrest against Citizenship Amendment Bill.
• Airlines are also offering free rescheduling/cancellation for passengers traveling to and from these locations.

 

Airlines on Thursday canceled flights to various places in Assam in the wake of unrest in the state. IndiGo, Vistara, Air India and SpiceJet are among the carriers that have canceled their flights.

With respect to the ongoing unrest situation in Assam, a few Guwahati and Dibrugarh-bound flights have been canceled on Thursday, an IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement. "We are operating relief flights at capped fares for passengers who are currently at these locations," the statement said. The airline has waived rescheduling/cancellation for passengers traveling to and from Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat till December 13.

In a tweet, Vistara said it has canceled flights "as per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam". "Flight UK725 (IXB-DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are canceled for today. We are offering free change/cancellation to Guwahati and Dibrugarh flights through Sunday, December 15," it said.

An Air India spokesperson said that only its flights between Kolkata and Dibrugarh have been canceled. "GoAir is offering a waiver on date change fees/rescheduling of tickets for travel to and from Guwahati till Dec 13," the Mumbai-based budget carrier said in a statement.

Calls and messages to Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola seeking comments on the ministry's advisory to cancel flights to Assam did not elicit any immediate response.

Assam has been witnessing unrest in the wake of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament on Wednesday. The proposed amendments seek to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan facing persecution there. Guwahati, the epicenter of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew on Wednesday night while the Army was called in at four places.

(With inputs from agencies.)