Delhi Airport Plans Four-Month Closure Of Third Runway For Upgrades

Delhi airport plans to shut its third runway starting mid-February for at least four months for infrastructure upgrades, officials said. The closure of runway 11R/29L, which is expected to reopen by June,

may slow down operations and cause delays at the IGIA, one of the country’s busiest airports.

Delhi airport has four active runways. The closure, officials said, has been planned in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and all the other stakeholders, including the Air Traffic Control, the airlines, and other relevant agencies.

The airport plans to upgrade the runway infrastructure, including the Instrument Landing System (ILS), complete resurfacing, upgrade the drainage system, and also bring in a new rapid exit taxiway (RET), sources said.

While officials said the upgrades have been planned after the fog season and will be completed before the monsoon hits, it still may coincide with the summer rush, causing delays and disruptions in flight operations at an airport that witnesses more than 1,500 flights a day.

The decision, however, has been taken after repeated meetings by the airport operator with the DGCA and AAI.

Last year, the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s main runway (28/10) was shut on April 8 for an ILS upgrade, but was told to reopen it only after a month of closure in order to deal with operational delays and congestion.

Even this time, sources suggest that the minister’s office has directed that the runway upgradation timelines should be met with minimal disruptions and inconvenience to passengers.

At the same time, the ATC has been asked to maintain operational efficiency during these four months.