Mumbai airport continued to remain closed for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as the runway was waterlogged due to incessant rains that lashed the metropolis.
A fresh notice to all airlines stated that the airport in Mumbai will remain closed till 11 am, airline officials said.
A NOTAM issued last evening had said that the airport would be closed till 5.30 am.
Crucial navigation and landing aids such as the Instrument Landing System and Distance Measuring Instrument were not available, forcing diversion of all international and domestic flights to other destinations, they said.
The runway continued to remain 'inaccessible due to waterlogging', the officials said. Airport officials were expected to carry out an examination as soon as water recedes before deciding on opening the runway, they added.
The runway has been closed since 2.30 pm Tuesday following the heavy downpour and all international and domestic flights have been diverted to other cities.
Power to the Sahar terminal building had been switched off as a precautionary measure and was being restored in phases, an airport official said adding, the taxi stand outside the building is still under water.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was scheduled to carry out an aerial survey of the affected areas in Raigad and Ratnagiri districts on Wednesday, has not been able to do so due to inclement weather, official sources said.
The state government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday.
He also urged people to stay in their homes and not venture out as heavy rains were forecast for the next 48 hours.
"People should also desist from bringing out their vehicles on the roads as there already is a long queue of vehicles stuck in several parts of the city", Deshmukh said.
More from rediff