IGI airport to shut down a runway for week-long repair

However, DIAL said that two other runways are sufficient to handle current traffic movement

Flight movements from Delhi are likely to be delayed with Delhi airport closing one of its three runways for maintenance work for a week beginning coming Tuesday.

Delhi International Airport Limited said the two other runways are sufficient to handle current traffic movement. On an average Delhi airport handles about 950 flights daily with three runway operations.

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The airport operator said that runway 10/28 will be shut for a week to carry out necessary and preventive repair work. This runway is situated close to terminal 1D and is used for departures by low cost airlines including IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet.

In normal course runway 09/27 is used for arrivals by low cost airlines while runway 11/29 is used for both arrivals and departures by airlines which operate from terminal T3.

"Periodic repair work is crucial to ensure the lifespan of the runway. During the seven days, repair work on the top layer of the runway in certain areas is being executed. In close collaboration with the stakeholders, DGCA, ATC and the airlines, it was decided to carry out the work in one stretch over a period of seven days instead of a piecemeal approach over a few months. This exercise will ensure the best and long lasting quality of the runway," DIAL said in a statement.

Once the repair works of runway 10/28 is completed and it becomes operational, the airside efficiency of IGI airport will further improve, it said.

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, the lifespan of a typical runway pavement worldwide, though it is some 20 years, the airport operators must carry out the necessary repair works once in every 5-6 years in a bid to eradicate any early sign of runway pavement distress or cracks. These global guidelines recommend that the pavement engineer must assess and repair the runway regularly in a time bound and a scientific manner, the airport said explaining the reason for repairs.