Jet Airways cancels operations to Brussels (Roundup)

Jet Airways on Tuesday cancelled all its flights to and from Brussels until Wednesday after two of its staff members were injured in the bomb blasts that rocked the city's Zaventem airport on Tuesday morning.

Two of the airline's flights from India had landed before and around the time of the attack, but all passengers and crew were safe.

"Jet Airways has cancelled flights operating to/from and via Brussels until tomorrow Wednesday 23 March. The airline has also offered a waiver on cancellation, rebooking and rerouting of tickets for travel to/from/via Brussels until March 26," an airline spokesperson said.

According to the airline, following the deadly explosions, the Brussels airport has been closed until 6.00 a.m. local time on March 23.

The airline informed that two of its staff members sustained injuries in the explosion at Brussels airport.

"Both of them are receiving medical care at hospitals," the spokesperson said.

The airline elaborated, that as per the latest information received from Brussels, its guests have been accommodated at three locations by Jet Airways staff in co-ordination with the local authorities.

"Arrangements for their food and comfort have been made till the situation normalises," the spokesperson added.

"We are working very closely with the Indian Embassy and are in touch with the Indian Ambassador to plan the next steps for evacuation of our guests from Brussels once the airport becomes operational."

Two Jet Airways flights, one from New Delhi and the other from Mumbai, had landed at Brussels around the time of the blast.

According to the data from aviation website Flightradar24, Jet Airways flight 9W 230 from New Delhi reached Brussels at 8.08 a.m. local time, just minutes after the bomb blast at the departure terminal at 8 a.m.

Flight 9W 228 from Mumbai had landed at Brussels at 7.11 a.m. local time.

Several people were said to have been injured at the airport, with media putting the number of dead at 13, while blasts were also reported from elsewhere in the city including a subway station.

Currently, Jet Airways operates daily non-stop flights to its European gateway at Brussels airport from its domestic hubs in Mumbai and New Delhi.

The attacks coincidentally came a day after the private Indian airline announced it will shift its European base out of Brussels to Amsterdam.

On Monday, the airline had announced that it will shift its European hub from Brussels to Amsterdam, and plans to launch daily non-stop flights from New Delhi and Mumbai to Amsterdam, starting from March 27.