Sri Vijaya Puram, November 10: Mr. Mohammad H. Jadwet, Chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Andaman & Nicobar Chapter, has written to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, requesting his intervention regarding the frequent suspension and cancellation of SpiceJet flights to Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair).
In the letter dated today, he drew the Minister’s attention to the recurring suspension and frequent cancellation of SpiceJet flights to Sri Vijaya Puram, which, he said, is seriously affecting tourism and air connectivity to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
He stated that over the past several years, SpiceJet has followed a pattern of discontinuing its Port Blair operations during the early months of the year and resuming services around October, and the same pattern has continued this year. Unfortunately, even after restarting operations in October 2026, there have been frequent cancellations and rescheduling of flights, causing considerable uncertainty and inconvenience.
The letter said that the Andaman Islands are a major tourist destination where visitors book their flights, hotels, ferries and other travel arrangements well in advance. Sudden cancellations force tourists either to cancel their holidays or to remain stranded in Port Blair, resulting in substantial additional expenditure. Such disruptions are also seriously damaging the reputation of Brand Andamans as a dependable tourist destination.
Another matter of concern raised in the letter is SpiceJet’s practice of accepting advance payments from travel agents against blocked seats and subsequently discontinuing flights without adequate advance notice. This results in substantial funds of travel agents remaining blocked for several months, causing financial hardship and reflecting poorly on fair B2B business practices.
While appreciating that airlines must adjust their schedules according to seasonal demand, the IATO Andaman Chapter said that, although reducing flight frequencies during the lean season is understandable, complete withdrawal of operations for months, followed by frequent cancellations after restarting services, is neither desirable nor in the interest of passengers and the tourism industry.
The Chapter has requested the Ministry’s intervention with SpiceJet to ensure continuity of year-round operations with reduced off-season frequencies, greater reliability of published flight schedules, adequate advance notice of any suspension, and prompt refund or settlement of travel agents’ blocked funds.
Considering the geographical isolation of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and their dependence on air connectivity, the IATO Andaman Chapter has requested the Minister’s kind intervention to safeguard the interests of tourists, travel agents and the Islands’ tourism industry.
