Over 41,000 stranded at Mumbai and Delhi airports

New Delhi (IANS) The government Monday said more than 41,000 passengers have been stranded at Mumbai and Delhi international airports as air routes are restricted due to an ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano spreading to Europe, disrupting flights for the last four days.

"There are about 41,435 passengers stranded in Delhi and Mumbai airports. The situation is still grim in Europe," Civil Aviation secretary M. Madhavan Nambiar told reporters here.

"The officials there are meeting again shortly to take stock of the situation. We will be intimated thereafter," he added.

Two main international carriers from India, Air India and Jet Airways, will be flying through other routes from Monday till the situation improves in Europe, said Nambiar.

Air India will fly to the U.S. and Canada via Cairo (Egypt), while Jet Airways will fly to these destinations via Athens (Greece).

The Civil Aviation ministry officials also called airline operators.

"They have been told to facilitate the passengers departures and onward travel and not to exploit the presently adverse situation by overcharging either them or other airlines that transfer passengers to them. This will be closely monitored during this period," he added.

The ministry has also set up a control room which would monitor the situation in Europe.

"The control room will also deal with issues concerning passengers. We have met all airline operators and ministry of external affairs officials to expedite the transfer of passengers to their destinations," said Nambiar.

The control room, he said, will also coordinate with the ministry of external affairs, the directorate general of civil aviation and the airlines flying out of India. "The Control Room will function between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. It will be functional till the crisis is over," he added.