Bhubaneshwar, May 2: In view of the cyclonic storm 'Fani', the GoAir has cancelled all its flights to Bhubaneswar Airport (BBI) in Odisha. The budget carrier's in and out flights from Bhubaneswar Airport stands cancelled for May 3, 2019. IndiGo Airlines has also cancelled its services to Bhubaneshwar citing the bad weather. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone Fani is likely to make landfall in the eastern coast on Friday. Cyclone Fani Update: PM Narendra Modi Chairs High-Level Meeting to Review Preparedness.

In a travel update, Premium carrier Vistara mentioned that it is waiving off cancellation charges and flight rescheduling charges for the flights booked for Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, the airline announced in a tweet. This is applicable for flights from May 2 to May 5, the carrier added. Cyclone Fani Intensifies, Indian Navy On Standby for Emergency As IMD Issues Alert in Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Tweet by Vistara Airlines:

Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu requested all the airlines to provide the necessary assistance for rescue and relief operations in view of cyclone Fani. "All airlines are requested to offer all assistance for rescue and relief operations in view of Cyclonic Storm FANI. All relief material should be airlifted to be delivered to officially designated agencies. The control room is set up," he said.

Tweet by ANI:

Citing security concerns, the Indian Railways have cancelled around 103 trains and diverted four in the last two days as 'extremely severe' cyclone is making its way to the eastern coast. The railways have deployed three special trains to shuttle stranded passengers from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness for the disastrous storm. The meeting was attended by the Home Secretary, senior officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). In the meeting, the PM was briefed about the path of cyclone and the ongoing preparatory measures.

Earlier today, the Indian Navy, NDRF, Coast Guard and have mentioned that they have kept their officials and relief measures ready for any rescue operations. Coast Guard (East) IG Paramesh said, "We have positioned 8 rescue teams, four each at Visakhapatnam & Chennai. We have also kept two ships each at Visakhapatnam & Chennai for immediate mobilisation post-cyclone. One Chetak helicopter, each at Chennai and Visakhapatnam is kept ready to provide relief."

Meanwhile, all the tourists in Odisha's Puri and the nearby area have been advised to vacate the city rapidly, as the Cyclone Fani, pronounced as Foni, is expected to hit the coast at a speed of 170-180 kmph on May 3.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2019 05:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).