India, March 18 -- Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed on Tuesday, one day after powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and upended air travel in a cross-section of cities.

Travellers have been facing additional jams at airport security checkpoints as a partial Government shutdown strains screener staffing. The disruptions come at an already challenging time for air travel, in part because the shutdown that began February 14 has pressured staffing at some security checkpoints.

At the same time, airports are crowded with spring break travellers and fans heading to March Madness games, the annual NCAA men's and women's college basketball tournaments.

More than 750 flights scheduled to fly into, out of or w...