Major runway repairs planned in Feb, expect flight disruptions

MUMBAI: Fliers travelling to and from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai, are likely to face delays if they are scheduled to travel between February 16 and April 3, 2019.

Senior airport officials said re-carpeting and overlay work of the runway intersection could lead to flight disruptions. Officials said the runway work is done every seven years and was last done in 2011-12.

A senior official from Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed the development and said a notice to airmen (NOTAM, notice filed to intimate pilots about the schedule change) is yet to be issued.

He added, “This information has been communicated to all the stakeholders so that passengers can be kept informed about their flight status on these days. Also, the dates for repairs might vary.”

Another official said the runways will be shut for six hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am to 5pm.

“All flights operating between 11am to 5pm will be cancelled until the intersection work is completed,” the official added.

The airport that has two cross runways that on average handle 950 aircraft daily. The main runway (09-27) handles maximum flight operations, while the secondary runway (lesser efficient than the main runway) is used when the main runway is not available for flight operations. CSIA undergoes routine runway maintenance work on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week from 2pm to 5pm.