In Delhi fog, Rs 1,000-cr runway is a no-show

Delhi: Air traffic congestion over Delhi will worsen once fog sets in, when pilots would insist on landing on the tried and tested older runway than the new one built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
The fog is denser around the second runway, called 29, than the rest of the airport complex. And there is a Shiv statue right under the flight path — and at the mouth of the runway — adversely affecting descent.
Also, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the air transport watchdog for India, has not given the runway a permanent licence because of technical deficiencies.
Runway 29 operates under six-monthly temporary permits, the last came earlier this week and a copy is available with HT.
“Pilots always prefer the old runway 28 to 29,” said Shailendra Singh, President of the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association. “Visibility is always comparatively poor at the new runway.”
Though Runway 29 is longer than 28 — 4.4 km to 3.4 km — the 62-foot Shiv statue delays touchdown, reducing the effective runway length available for landing to 3 km.
This may not be an impossible feat in normal times, but pilots are not comfortable trying it in foggy conditions.
17/12/09 Sidhartha Roy/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Dec 2009