Airport gears to tackle foggy Tuesdays

Mumbai: Anticipating long queues of arriving flights, the Mumbai Air Traffic has written to their headquarters in Delhi to not divert fog-affected flights to Mumbai on Tuesdays when shortened runway operations take place.
Officials here sent this request after last Tuesday saw major flight disruptions due to smog over the city. The queue for landing swelled to nearly 40 flights within 100 miles of the airport. Some flights had to be diverted as well. Officials said diversion of fog-hit flights from Delhi could add to traffic congestion, particularly on Tuesday evenings.
"Flights coming to Mumbai are already getting diverted. To have diverted flights coming in at that rush hour will only make matters worse,'' said a senior airport official. "This is why a request has been made to the Airports Authority of India headquarters to ask airlines not to fill Mumbai airport as a diversion alternative on Tuesdays.'' Airport officials are doing their best to minimise flight disruptions but the weather conditions do not seem conducive to smooth operations on a shortened runway.
15/12/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2009