Hyderabad: Hyderabad witnessed a mix of awe in the skies and chaos on the roads as the Wings India-2026 air show at Begumpet airport drew unprecedented crowds on its last day, Saturday.With breathtaking aerial displays by the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Suryakiran Aerobatic Team captivating visitors, the event transformed Begumpet into one of the city’s busiest zones, both in the skies and on the ground. Visitors from across Hyderabad and neighbouring areas flocked to the venue to witness high-speed formations and precision flying, especially as the air show entered its last leg on Friday and Saturday. However, the massive turnout led to severe traffic congestion in and around Begumpet airport, bringing vehicular movement to a crawl on several key arterial roads. Commuters reported unusually long travel times, turning routine journeys into exhausting ordeals. Motorists said it took at least 40 minutes from St John’s Church in Marredpally to Paradise, a 2-km stretch, while reaching Greenlands from the same stretch of 6km took nearly two hours due to relentless bumper-to-bumper traffic. The congestion peaked near Begumpet airport, where traffic from both directions, Marredpally to Greenlands and vice versa converged, overwhelming the road network.Although traffic congestion was reported on Thursday and Friday, Saturday witnessed the heaviest vehicular flow. Roads around the airport were choked for hours, particularly in the late afternoon and evening, as crowds poured in to watch the last aerial performances. Public transport services were also affected, with buses moving at a snail’s pace on packed thoroughfares.The Hyderabad traffic police deployed personnel in large numbers to man the traffic and imposed diversions. However, officials admitted that the sheer volume of vehicles made regulation extremely challenging. Unlike usual traffic management strategies, such as temporarily blocking flyovers and diverting vehicles to the opposite carriageway, authorities found it difficult to implement such measures as congestion persisted on both sides of the flyovers.In advisories issued to the public, the traffic police cautioned that vehicular movement was slow from Praja Bhavan, Begumpet flyover, HPS In & Out, and Hotel Vivanta towards Prakash Nagar due to the air show. Similarly, traffic was reported to be sluggish from YMCA, SBI X Roads, Plaza flyover, CTO, and Paradise towards Begumpet police station. Commuters were urged to plan their journeys in advance and take alternative routes to avoid delays.Despite the inconvenience caused by prolonged traffic snarls, Wings India-2026 left visitors with memories of thrilling aerial artistry, and a reminder of the immense logistical challenges that accompany large-scale public events in the heart of Hyderabad.
