Cyclone Murasu has forced more than 20 flights to be cancelled at Chennai and Andhra Pradesh airports, prompting IndiGo to issue a fresh travel advisory even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) says the system has weakened into a depression over the Bay of Bengal. The disruption is real and ongoing, but the storm’s intensity is already easing, which is the kind of nuance that tends to get lost in the rush to post an alarming headline.
Key Takeaways
- Cyclone Murasu triggered over 20 flight cancellations across Chennai and select Andhra Pradesh airports on short notice.
- IndiGo issued a formal travel advisory allowing free rebooking and cancellation for affected routes.
- IMD has downgraded Murasu from a severe cyclonic storm to a depression, but heavy rainfall warnings remain active for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
- Travellers should check live flight status before heading to the airport, since ground delays are still being reported even where flights haven’t been formally cancelled.
Why Did Cyclone Murasu Disrupt Flights in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh?
Murasu formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal in late October and tracked north-westward toward the Andhra coast, gathering strength as it moved over warm sea surface temperatures. Airlines typically start trimming schedules once a cyclonic system is forecast to bring sustained winds above 60-70 kmph near an airport, because crosswinds and low visibility make landings unsafe, not because of the rain alone.
That’s precisely what happened here. As Murasu’s outer bands began lashing the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coastline, airport operators at Chennai and at smaller Andhra airstrips started pre-emptively pulling flights off the board rather than waiting for last-minute diversions, which are far more disruptive for passengers already in the air.
How Many Flights Were Cancelled, and at Which Airports?
Reports from the ground put the number at over 20 flights cancelled, spread across Chennai’s domestic and international terminals and a handful of Andhra Pradesh airports in the storm’s path. The table below gives a quick sense of how the disruption has broken down, based on airline and airport statements so far.
| Airport | Impact | Primary Cause |
| Chennai International | Multiple domestic flights cancelled or delayed | Crosswinds, reduced visibility from rain bands |
| Andhra Pradesh coastal airports | Short-haul flights cancelled | Direct storm track proximity |
| Other South India hubs | Minor delays reported | Knock-on scheduling effects |
It’s worth being careful with the exact figure here. Different trackers are citing slightly different counts, somewhere in the low twenties, because cancellations kept rolling in through the day as the storm’s position updated. That’s normal during an active weather event, and it’s exactly why relying on an airline’s live status page beats trusting any single news report frozen at one point in time.
What Does IndiGo’s Travel Advisory Actually Say?
IndiGo, which operates the densest network across the affected sector, issued a weather advisory covering flights to and from Chennai and the Andhra Pradesh airports in Murasu’s path. The airline is allowing a one-time, fee-free date change or full refund for passengers booked on impacted routes within the advisory window, a standard response pattern Indian carriers now follow for every named cyclone.
Other airlines flying the same routes, including SpiceJet and Air India Express, have quietly mirrored similar flexibility, though not always with a formal public advisory. If you’re booked on an affected route, the airline’s own app or SMS alerts will almost always update faster than a general news feed, so that’s the first place to look before calling customer care.
Has Cyclone Murasu Weakened, and What Does That Mean Going Forward?
This is where some of this week’s coverage has run ahead of the data. IMD’s latest bulletins describe Murasu as having weakened from a severe cyclonic storm into a depression, and some forecasters now expect it to degenerate further into a well-marked low-pressure area over the next day or two. That is genuinely good news for flight operations, because wind-driven disruptions ease well before rainfall tapers off.
But a weaker cyclone is not the same as a harmless one. Depressions and residual low-pressure systems routinely dump more rain than the parent cyclone did at peak intensity, simply because they move slower and drag moisture inland for longer. IMD’s cyclone warning division has continued flagging heavy to very heavy rainfall for parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha even as Murasu’s wind field has collapsed, and that’s the detail air travellers and commuters alike should actually be tracking this week.
Where Do Forecast Models Disagree?
Global models and IMD’s own guidance haven’t been perfectly aligned on how fast Murasu’s remnant moisture will clear the Andhra-Odisha coast versus how long it lingers as a monsoon-season-style trough. Some runs push the heavy rain band further north toward Odisha and the Gangetic belt by midweek; others keep the bulk of it parked over coastal Andhra Pradesh a day or two longer. Until IMD’s own regional centres converge on a single timeline, it’s safer to treat any specific “rain ends by Thursday” claim as provisional rather than settled.
How Does This Compare to Past Cyclones That Hit Chennai Airport?
Chennai’s airport has a well-documented history of cyclone-driven shutdowns, and putting Murasu next to recent precedent helps calibrate expectations rather than feeding panic.
- Cyclone Michaung (December 2023): Chennai airport flooded and shut for over a day, with hundreds of flights affected, far worse than what Murasu has produced so far.
- Cyclone Mandous (2022): A handful of flights cancelled as a precaution, broadly similar in scale to the current disruption.
- Cyclone Murasu (2026): Over 20 flights cancelled to date, with the storm already weakening, suggesting the worst of the aviation impact may be behind us rather than ahead.
That comparison matters because it’s easy to assume every cyclone near Chennai will replay Michaung’s scale of disruption. Murasu, on current evidence, looks closer to a moderate, short-lived disruption than a Michaung-level event, though IMD hasn’t formally closed the book on the system yet.
What Should Travellers Do Right Now?
- Check your airline’s app or website for real-time status before leaving for the airport.
- If you’re flying through Chennai or an Andhra Pradesh airport this week, build in extra buffer time for connections.
- Keep an eye on IMD’s regional bulletins rather than secondhand summaries, since rainfall warnings are being updated more than once a day.
- Avoid non-essential coastal travel in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha until the heavy rainfall warning is downgraded.
FAQ
Is Cyclone Murasu still a cyclone?
Not quite anymore. IMD has downgraded Murasu to a depression, and it may weaken further into a low-pressure area, though its rain bands are still active over parts of the east coast.
How many flights were cancelled due to Cyclone Murasu?
Over 20 flights have been cancelled so far across Chennai and Andhra Pradesh airports, according to current reports, with the figure still being updated as airlines revise schedules.
Will IndiGo refund tickets affected by Cyclone Murasu?
Yes. IndiGo’s advisory offers a free one-time rebooking or full refund for passengers on flights covered by the weather advisory window.
Which states are under an IMD rainfall alert because of Cyclone Murasu?
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha currently have heavy to very heavy rainfall warnings linked to Murasu’s remnant moisture, alongside separate alerts for other parts of the country this week.
When will flight operations return to normal?
There’s no confirmed date yet. Airlines are reviewing schedules day by day as IMD updates Murasu’s track, so travellers should treat “normal by tomorrow” claims with some caution until carriers confirm it themselves.
Conclusion
Cyclone Murasu’s aviation impact looks contained for now, more than 20 flights grounded, a standard IndiGo advisory, and a storm that’s already losing steam. The bigger story through midweek is less about wind and more about rain, with IMD’s warnings for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha still very much live.