Mumbai's main runway to be shut for next 15 days

Mumbai: From today onwards, for five-and-a-half hours daily, about 190 flights will have only the relatively less efficient secondary runway for use as the main runway will be closed for post-monsoon repair work. What this means is that about 20,000 passengers of those flights to and from Dubai, London, Delhi and Bangalore, among other cities, may have to put up with some inconvenience.
"The main runway, 09-27, will remain shut from October 11 to October 25, from 10.30 am to 4 pm every day for post-monsoon maintenance, said a release from MIAL on Friday.
During the monsoon, only a limited time is possible for maintenance work due to weather conditions. In addition to the maintenance, geo-technical surveys will be carried out to finalise the plan for total resurfacing of the main runway next year," said a release issued on Friday by Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL).
"There won't be any significant delays as flight operations will be carried out on the secondary runway 14-32," said an MIAL spokesperson.
Although post-monsoon maintenance work is carried out every year, the scale has never been this big. In the last four to five years the double-digit air traffic growth has led to acute congestion in Mumbai's skies and this is the first time that the main runway will stay closed for such a long period.
11/10/08 Times of India

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Categories: Airports Oct 2008