Speed-up runway hits slowdown

Calcutta: Fliers frustrated by traffic chaos on the road to the airport are now having to contend with congestion on the runway as well. Flights have been taking 30 to 40 minutes longer than scheduled to take off and land during the morning and evening peak hours because a new taxiway meant to speed up things has been lying unused.
Airport sources blamed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for Taxiway K — one of two new additions that cost Rs 17 crore to build — remaining unused despite being ready for opening six months ago. “Calcutta airport being a licensed aerodrome, the addition of any facility or change in infrastructure requires the DGCA’s approval. But they are sitting on our application,” an official said.
The safety assessment report for Taxiway K, on the northern side, was sent to Delhi before last winter but the airport authorities haven’t heard from the headquarters since. A DGCA official said from New Delhi that safety assessments at airports were being conducted “one by one” and that “Calcutta’s turn will come soon”.
The new taxiways on either side of the original four links between the primary and secondary runways are expected to reduce taxiing time to around eight minutes once these are operational.
An aircraft usually takes around 15 minutes to complete the taxiing-to-takeoff cycle in a “no-traffic” situation.
“With both new taxiways still not operational and the number of flights increasing, runway delays during the morning and evening peak hours have increased,” said a Calcutta-based pilot.
18/05/10 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports May 2010