Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 10: The Indian Association of Tour Operators has drawn the attention of the Union Minister of Civil Aviation on the recurring suspension and frequent cancellation of SpiceJet flights to Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), which is seriously affecting tourism and air connectivity to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
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. 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 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 to either cancel their holidays or 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 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.
“We fully appreciate that airlines must adjust their schedules according to seasonal demand. However, while 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”, said Shri Mohammed H Jadwet, Chairman, IATO, Andaman Chapter in a letter addressed to Shri Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation.
Jadwet 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 requested the Minister’s intervention to safeguard the interests of tourists, travel agents and the Islands’ tourism industry.