Tourist traffic is set to be hit in the summer as airlines begin to reschedule or suspend flights from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) as its runway will undergo repairs, overdue for two years.
SVPIA has undertaken partial re-carpeting and repair of its 3.5-km-long runway, and this will be extended fully from April 16. As a result, flights will not operate between 10 am to 6 pm. According to A K Sharma, director, Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the Ahmedabad airport, the re-carpeting is likely to get over by March 2017.
While IndiGo has announced suspension of flights that run between 10 am and 6 pm connecting Ahmedabad to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Goa, Pune, and Indore, Jet Airways will be suspending services for the Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal and Indore routes. Announcements from other airlines are awaited. SpiceJet has rescheduled six domestic and two international flights to Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, and Dubai, while it has cancelled flights between Goa and Ahmedabad.
“SpiceJet operates eight domestic and two international flights per day in the current schedule. It has been operating at an average PLF (passenger load factor) of 90 per cent for nine months. The flights have been rescheduled,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said, adding the airline would not raise rate as a result.
“We have not yet heard from any airlines on rescheduling or suspension of flights. Currently, re-carpeting work is on for a small portion of the runway,” said Sharma. Repair work on the entire runway would begin from April 16, he added.
11/03/16 Business Standard
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SVPIA has undertaken partial re-carpeting and repair of its 3.5-km-long runway, and this will be extended fully from April 16. As a result, flights will not operate between 10 am to 6 pm. According to A K Sharma, director, Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the Ahmedabad airport, the re-carpeting is likely to get over by March 2017.
While IndiGo has announced suspension of flights that run between 10 am and 6 pm connecting Ahmedabad to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Goa, Pune, and Indore, Jet Airways will be suspending services for the Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal and Indore routes. Announcements from other airlines are awaited. SpiceJet has rescheduled six domestic and two international flights to Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, and Dubai, while it has cancelled flights between Goa and Ahmedabad.
“SpiceJet operates eight domestic and two international flights per day in the current schedule. It has been operating at an average PLF (passenger load factor) of 90 per cent for nine months. The flights have been rescheduled,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said, adding the airline would not raise rate as a result.
“We have not yet heard from any airlines on rescheduling or suspension of flights. Currently, re-carpeting work is on for a small portion of the runway,” said Sharma. Repair work on the entire runway would begin from April 16, he added.
11/03/16 Business Standard
