Dabolim runway to be restored by Sat: Navy

Dabolim: If all goes well and weather conditions remain favourable, the damaged link of the 3.43km Dabolim airport runway will be fully restored by Saturday morning, Indian Navy sources said, adding that an inquiry has been ordered into Saturday's mishap.
"The digging and clearing work of the 6,000 sq m damaged area is done, but there are still a few patches having kerosene seepage," INS Hansa commanding officer commodore Ravneet Singh said. Denying that the issue related to payment of costs for repairs by Indian Oil Company (IOC) had caused a hindrance to the restoration of the airstrip, he said work had started soon after the mishap.
A IOC fuel bowser carrying 6,000 litres of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) had overturned on Saturday at 9pm on the Dabolim runway, rendering 1.3 km of the stretch non-functional for the landing of flights. The Navy had carried out salvage operations, using specialized safety services, and cleared the strip by 2pm on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Singh said that the hot mixing plant is expected to arrive on Friday. "The runway can be taken up for blacktopping work on Friday from 8pm onwards for ten hours," he said.
The Navy held a meeting with airline companies on Thursday to discuss the closure of the runway for about ten hours to complete the work.
29/10/10 Times of India

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Categories: airports Oct 2010