Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has rejected SpiceJet’s claim that bad weather disrupted its operations at Kochi airport, saying there were no adverse weather conditions serious enough to cause major flight disruptions.
The airport operator said that no other airline operating from Kochi reported cancellations because of weather during the same period. It also accused SpiceJet of spreading misinformation through a social media advisory.
CIAL said SpiceJet continued to face operational problems, including issues affecting its international services, which had caused inconvenience and uncertainty for passengers.
The dispute began after SpiceJet issued an advisory warning that arrivals, departures and consequential flights could be affected by bad weather in Kochi and asked passengers to check their flight status before travelling.
SpiceJet later clarified that the message was only a precautionary advisory and not an announcement of cancellations or suspension of operations.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said the airline issues such notices to keep passengers and travel partners informed about conditions that could potentially affect their journeys and give them time to make alternative arrangements.
The airline also said that no SpiceJet flights from Kochi were cancelled and that its scheduled daily flights to Fujairah and Dubai operated the previous day.
CIAL, meanwhile, maintained that it had made efforts to assist affected passengers and criticised the airline for not adequately addressing its continuing passenger grievances.
