Mumbai airport runway to be closed for a few hours daily

New Delhi: Passenger inconvenience is likely to be the norm this winter as the main runway at the Mumbai international airport is expected to be closed for a few hours every day for repair. The airport operates two runways, but needs to upgrade and recarpet the main runway 0927.
The upgradation of the runway is likely to start in October and result in increased congestion and flight delays. It could also lead to ‘load penalty’, which means airlines will not be able to carry complete load on some flights as the secondary runway 14/27 is shorter.
“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will take a decision on when to begin the recarpeting work.
It will also decide the number of hours the main runway will be closed for operations once work starts,” a spokesperson of the Mumbai International Airport Limited said.
Though a final decision has yet to be taken, the plan involves making the runway code F compliant, which means it would be able to handle A380-type jumbo aircraft for regular operations, he added.
14/07/10 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Airports Jul 2010