Patna: The authorities of Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport here are yet to receive the new deadline to use the existing runway beyond November 30.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had last month extended its decision to re-notify the runway length of Patna airport to November 30. This was the fourth time in three months that the AAI had decided to extend the implementation date of its notice to airmen (NOTAM), initially issued on August 4.
Given the obstructions in the vicinity of the airport, the AAI had, on August 4, issued a NOTAM reducing from August 16 the landing distance available (LDA) which would have made the airport unfit for operation of wide-bodied jets like Airbus-320 and Boeing 737.
According to the revised length of runway (from Phulwarisharif end) will be 1,141 metres instead of the earlier 1,677 metre. Similarly, the runway from the Patna zoo end will now be 1,289 metres instead of earlier 1,820 metres. Aviation sources said the minimum runway length required for Airbus-320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to land is 1,540 metres and 1,790 metres respectively.
26/11/12 Sayantanee Choudhury/Times of India
