Delhi Airport Runway Work to Complete by Jan 19: MoCA

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Delhi airport operator DIAL on Tuesday informed the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) that the work on the now closed runway RWY 10/28 is expected to be completed by January 19 for inspection by aviation regulator DGCA, according to sources.

The closure of the key CAT III-compliant runway, which was scheduled to be operational from the first week of January, has come into focus in the wake of fog-related disruptions that have impacted a significant number of flights in recent days.

On Tuesday, more than 50 flights were delayed due to adverse weather conditions but there were no diversions, an official said.

A day after Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asked DIAL to expedite the operationalisation of the runway RWY 10/28, the airport operator on Tuesday told the ministry that the maintenance work was impacted due to various reasons, including disruption in raw material supply, as per the sources in the know.

In a communication to the ministry on Tuesday, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said it was committed to complete the project at the earliest and is targeting to complete all activities by 19th January for DGCA inspection.

On Tuesday, Scindia said the operationalisation of RWY 10/28 will be done after re-carpeting work.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital has four runways -- RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, RW 10/28 and RW 11L/29R. Out of them, three runways, including CAT III-compliant RW 11L/29R, are operational. The airport handles around 1,300 flights daily.

CAT III compliance allows for operating flights in low visibility conditions.

The airport operator, in the communication, has listed out five reasons for the delay in completing the runway work. These include disruption in the raw material supply chain for civil works due to the implementation of anti-pollution measures in the national capital.

Delayed supply of imported lights due to supply chain complexities, technical issues in the originally supplied signage following which they were replaced, and software configuration issues, have been cited as among the reasons, the sources said.

Further, DIAL has mentioned about duct blockages and other unexpected challenges the during cable laying process requiring further work at multiple locations.

On Monday, Scindia said all stakeholders are working round-the-clock to minimise fog-related impact as well as passenger inconvenience.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also asked airlines to publish accurate real-time information regarding flight delays and to appropriately sensitise staff at airports to suitably communicate with the passengers, amid fog-related disruption of operations at airports as part of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).