Attention Travellers! India’s THIS Airport To Shut One Of Its Runway For 90 Days From June 15- Will Flights Be Cancelled? News24 –
One of India’s busiest airports is set to shut a runway for 90 days starting in June. The airport authority cites the upgrade of landing instruments as the reason for the closure. Delhi International Airport, where the initial attempt to close the runway in April was abandoned after just four weeks due to disruptions in flight schedules, is now preparing for another attempt. The airport struggled to manage its usual daily traffic of approximately 1,400 flights with only three runways in operation. However, the authorities have set a new date for June 15 and hinted at the cancellation of several flights.
Runway Shut For 90 Days
Runway 28/10 at Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to close for the upgrade of its landing instruments. The second attempt will begin on 15th June, which will last for 90 days. Officials have identified this period as relatively quieter than at present, with fewer people expected to travel to and from the city due to the holiday season.
“Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held a meeting with airlines on Tuesday morning and instructed them to start preparing for the runway closure, which is expected to last for around three months,” an official close to the development told HT.
HT also reports that the minister has taken a proactive approach to prevent a repeat of the disruption that occurred in April. “The minister also instructed airlines to plan flight cancellations in advance to reduce inconvenience for passengers,” said a second official to the publication.
“He (Naidu) further asked the airlines to propose all possible measures that could be taken to minimise the impact of the runway closure on passengers,” the official added.
High Level Meeting
Reports suggest that a high-level meeting was convened at the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), involving a wide range of stakeholders. Participants included representatives from all Indian airlines, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).
Delhi airport is now placing greater focus on careful planning after the chaos experienced in April. On April 8, authorities closed runway 28/10 to upgrade its Instrument Landing System (ILS) to CAT III B standards. This upgrade was meant to enable flight operations during low-visibility conditions, which are common during Delhi’s foggy winters. In addition to the ILS upgrade, the plan also included extending the runway’s lighting system from 650 to 900 metres.