Prime Minister Narendra Modi experienced an unexpected and lengthy delay at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport on Saturday, spending more than two hours there after adverse weather conditions thwarted his travel plans. This extended halt is noted as the longest any Indian Prime Minister has spent at the city's airport in recent memory.
Fog Forces Helicopter to Abort Landing
The Prime Minister arrived at Kolkata airport as scheduled at 10:40 am aboard a Boeing Business Jet. He then transferred to an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter for the intended journey to Taherpur in Nadia district, where he was to address a public rally. The helicopter took off at 11:10 am.
However, sources indicated that visibility began to deteriorate significantly after the aircraft crossed Barasat. Despite reaching the vicinity of the Taherpur venue, the pilot was confronted with dense fog over the rally site. Citing safety concerns due to the low visibility, the pilot made the decision to abort the landing and return to Kolkata. The helicopter touched back at NSCBI Airport shortly before noon.
Contingency Plans Swing Into Action
Demonstrating the precision of backup protocols, arrangements that are routinely prepared but seldom used were activated. The Prime Minister initially remained in the helicopter for about 15 minutes while it was refuelled, holding onto hope that the weather would clear enough for a second attempt to reach Taherpur.
When the fog persisted, PM Modi alighted and was driven to the ceremonial lounge adjacent to the old international terminal. There was a brief consideration of making the 100-kilometre road journey to the rally site by car, but this option was reportedly turned down by the Special Protection Group (SPG) responsible for his security.
Instead, leveraging standard operating procedures (SOPs) reinforced since the pandemic, the PM addressed the gathering at Taherpur virtually from the airport lounge. A video-conferencing facility and a podium requisitioned by the SPG were on standby. However, because the rally site lacked a large screen, the address was ultimately delivered as an audio-only message rather than an audio-visual one.
An Extended Wait and Revised Departure
During the extended halt, which totalled approximately 90 minutes in the lounge in addition to the time on the tarmac, the Prime Minister had a light refreshment. His departure for the next leg of his journey to Guwahati was consequently delayed. He took off around 1:58 pm, nearly half an hour later than the originally scheduled 1:30 pm departure.
An official involved in the logistics highlighted the readiness of such contingencies, stating, "Since the pandemic, keeping video-conference facilities ready has become an SOP for PM's programmes. The SPG kept standby arrangements ready." The incident underscored the challenges of maintaining a tightly packed schedule in the face of unpredictable natural elements like weather.
