Aircraft carrying stranded Chennai passengers lands at HAL airport

Flight part of rescue operations carried out to evacuate people in and around flood-affected Chennai

An AN 32 aircraft carrying 40 passengers from the Tambaram Air Force Station in Chennai landed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport in Bengaluru on Saturday as efforts to evacuate stranded passengers following the floods in Chennai swung into action.

The flight was part of rescue operations carried out to evacuate people in and around flood-affected Chennai, following incessant rainfall that has pounded the coastal city for the past few days. No planes have been able to take off from the Chennai airport since late Tuesday due to flooding of the runways.

"We are happy that HAL airport could be used for the noble mission," said Suvarna Raju, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, in a statement.

The HAL airport at Bengaluru has not been open for commercial flights since 2008, following the opening of the Kempegowda International Airport at Devanhalli on the outskirts of the city.

Over the past few days, Chennai has witnessed its highest rainfall in over 100 years, causing widespread flooding due to the lack of adequate drainage in the city. After an aerial survey of the city on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's had announced a Rs 1,000 crore relief package for Tamil Nadu.