Anti-CAB stir: Airlines cancel flights to Assam

Airlines on Thursday cancelled flights to various places in Assam in the wake of unrest in the state.

IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet are among the carriers that have cancelled their flights, while GoAir and AirAsia India announced waiving date change fee.

The development comes amid widespread protests across the state against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Against the backdrop of the unrest, a few Guwahati and Dibrugarh-bound flights have been cancelled 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 budget airline has waived rescheduling/cancellation for passengers travelling to and from Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Jorhat till December 13.

In a tweet, full service carrier Vistara said it has cancelled flights 'as per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam'.

'Flights UK725 (IXB-DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are cancelled 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 cancelled.

'GoAir is offering 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 on Thursday.

No-frills airline AirAsia India said that due to the ongoing unrest, it would be waiving rescheduling/ cancellation fee for guests travelling to/ from Agartala (Tripura) and Guwahati until December 13.

The fare difference, if any, would be applicable, the carrier said in a tweet.

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 (CAB), 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 epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew on Wednesday night while the Army was called in at four places.