Airlines waive reschedule costs as G-20 disrupts India flights

Airlines in India plan to forgo costs for passengers who reschedule or cancel flights during the Group of 20 summit taking place this week.

IndiGo, Air India Ltd. and Vistara are offering a waiver to people with travel planned to India’s capital, New Delhi, between Friday and Sunday as carriers expect disruptions to schedules.

Ahead of the G20 summit, Delhi traffic police have restricted movement of vehicles, and airlines are adjusting their operations to free up capacity and airport space for the influx of business leaders and government officials attending the meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Delhi airport, the country’s busiest, is running out of parking and landing slots as India’s rising middle class takes to the skies in the world’s most-populous nation. The insolvent Go Airlines India Ltd.’s grounded fleet is also eating into the space at airport. Zurich Airport International AG is building a second airport, capable of handling 70 million passengers annually, to expand the capacity in Delhi.

Operated by GMR Group, Delhi airport said last week it received requests from airlines to cancel about 160 in combined arrivals and departures and made provisions for the required parking of aircraft. It has a parking capacity for 72 charter aircraft.