Chennai: Planes will soon roll over the country's first runway bridge in Chennai as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to open the extended second runway in 10 days. The runway and its bridge across Adyar river received safety clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The runway was closed for extension work in 2009. With the opening of the second runway, aviation experts said flight handling at Chennai airport would increase from 27 per hour to at least 40.
However, planes coming in to land will not touch down on the bridge though AAI had been claiming the bridge had been constructed to withstand landing weight of an A380 aircraft. It has been decided to mark the touchdown point from the Manapakkam side after the bridge because of two reasons — to provide required safety buffer zone at the end of the runway and DGCA's reluctance to take a risk on the bridge. But flights will roll over the bridge during take-off.
27/03/14 Arun Janardhanan/Times of India
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The runway was closed for extension work in 2009. With the opening of the second runway, aviation experts said flight handling at Chennai airport would increase from 27 per hour to at least 40.
However, planes coming in to land will not touch down on the bridge though AAI had been claiming the bridge had been constructed to withstand landing weight of an A380 aircraft. It has been decided to mark the touchdown point from the Manapakkam side after the bridge because of two reasons — to provide required safety buffer zone at the end of the runway and DGCA's reluctance to take a risk on the bridge. But flights will roll over the bridge during take-off.
27/03/14 Arun Janardhanan/Times of India
