Ban on new runway in night may delay repairs on runway 28

DIAL,already in talks with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India,has proposed to re-carpet runway 27 instead.

The work,proposed to be carried out over the next three months,will make it category-I compatible so that it can be used in low visibility conditions and will be of help when runway 28 is closed for repairs.

According to sources,runway 28 will be considered for repairs immediately after runway 27,the old runway,is ready. Runway 27 is the shortest of three runways at the airport and doesn’t have runway visibility radar (RVR),making it impossible for operations in low visibility.

“Runway 28 will be repaired in two phases. One part of the runway will be re-carpeted before the onset of fog season,and the second part after the fog season,” sources said.

Closing runway 28 for repairs now,which will take six months,will lead to congestion at the airport,sources said.

Runway 28 has the most reliable CAT III landing system; it is used for both landings and take-offs.

“The runway re-carpeting process is under discussion and the exact sequence of events has not been decided,” Civil Aviation Secretary M Nambiar said.