Flights delayed as TIA runway in need of repair

Kathmandu: Flights at the country’s only international airport were disrupted for more than three hours today after a section of its runway wore out due to heavy rains.
Several flights were delayed while at least three flights were diverted. According to airport authorities, potholes in a section of 3,050-m stretch of the runway were spotted.
“Maintenance work was carried out last year. We understand there was some fault on the part of workers who had fixed the runway in the night,” said Dhruba Das Bhochhibhoya, Director, Tribhuvan International Airport Improvement Project. “We cannot overlay the affected area unless the rainy season ends.” But today’s was not the first instance of flight disruption due to runway repair at TIA. Since the onset of monsoon, the airport has already suffered the problem thrice. But Bhochhibhoya pledged to do the needful to fix the problem. While Qatar Airways and Jet Airways flights were diverted to Amausi International Airport, Lucknow, a China Eastern Airlines flight, which was forced to circle over Kathmandu sky for some time, was rerouted to Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, at around 8 am. Air India, SpiceJet, Jet Airways planes that were arriving in Kathmandu made a delayed landing.
22/06/11 The Himalayan

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Categories: Airports Jun 2011, Foreign Jun 2011