'Mix mode' at IGI to cut taxi delays

New Delhi: Domestic passengers flying into Delhi could soon be spared the agony of taxiing for anywhere up to 28 minutes after landing on the distant new runway. Around July 20, aviation authorities are going to begin trial operations of "mix mode'' operations on a trial basis at IGI under which domestic aircraft will take off and land from the main runway (28) that's just off the domestic terminal.
Only during the morning and evening peak hours of 9-11 am and 5-7 pm some domestic aircraft may have to land on the new runway 29. International operations will happen from this airstrip that's close to the international terminal from 6 am to 10 pm. This runway has night curfew under which no planes can land here from Vasant Kunj side from 10 pm to 6 am. But since during this period domestic operations are very less, runway 28 will be able to handle both international and internal flights, said sources.
"The Airports Authority of India (AAI) that controls air traffic control has made a presentation to us on mix mode operations. We are going to adopt the new system for a fortnight around July 20. Based on the practical experience, we'll finalize the procedure for this system that will be in use for over a year,'' said a senior DGCA official.
AAI and DGCA worked out the new system to cut down taxi delays and help improve on time performance in Delhi. Earlier, they had allowed all-day long simultaneous use of Mumbai's cross runways during good visibility to cut down delays there. Together, Delhi and Mumbai account for almost 60% of all doemstic traffic and if a flight gets delayed here, it will have consequential delays all day long on other sectors to be operated that day.
The integrated new domestic-cum-international terminal, that's expected to be ready in time for next October's Commonwealth Games, is situated just between runways 28 and 29. So, aircraft landing on either of these runways will have the terminal equidistant.
09/07/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jul 2009