Delhi Airport Runway To Be Shut From June 15 For Upgradation; Minister Convenes Meeting

New Delhi: Following the repeated instances of delays and congestion at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday held a conference with officials from the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to deliberate over the timeline for runway upgradation.

The meeting was attended by aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, director general of civil aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, AAI chairman Vipin Kumar, senior representatives from DIAL, airlines representatives and and CISF.

The closure of the main runway on April 8 was the main topic of discussion and according to two officials privy to the development, after a brief opening from May 5 to 7, the runway will again be closed from June 15 for the installation of Instrument Landing System (ILS) for better visibility and flight operations during fog conditions. The ILS is expected to be operational by mid-September.

A DIAL representative cited the weather as one of the dilatory factors, but stressed the need to complete the work. "The minister has been apprised of the situation that weather conditions had a bearing on the services. That is being addressed," the DIAL official told ETV Bharat. "Other stakeholders have also suggested postponing the ILS installation process. The minister has accepted the suggestion — the runway will reopen in the first week of May until June 14, when it will be shut for three months for ILS installation," he added.

The ILS system helps pilots manoeuvre aircraft in reduced visibility conditions like dense fog, typical for Delhi during the winter months. "Out of four runways at IGIA, three have been equipped with ILS and CAT III. Each runway has two sides, making for a total of six. On one side, the 28/10 runway is still not CAT III-compliant, and that's the focus of this upgrade. Changes in wind direction have also affected operations, which is why we are temporarily suspending ILS installation to manage the current disruption," the DIAL official said.

At the meeting, Naidu directed the officials to determine timelines for runway upgrades while also minimising disruptions to airlines and inconvenience to flyers. ATC was directed to examine the utilisation of enhanced hourly arrival capacity, with an increasing limit of 32 aircraft due to runway closure to 37 arrivals without compromising safety.

"Working together with passenger airlines, AAI, and CISF is imperative while trying to reduce passenger complaints. I have high hopes that the Delhi Airport will deliver a world-class experience even through all the odds," Naidu said, urging officials to ensure real-time and accurate information is provided to passengers.

Being the busiest airport in the country, IGIA witnessed a serious ripple effect across the airline network due to delays and diversions owing to the runway closure. Naidu stressed that smooth operations at IGIA are of "paramount importance" and called for a comprehensive and proactive plan.

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