The Hindu : Re-carpeting of runway to start on Nov. 1

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 20, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Re-carpeting of runway to start on Nov. 1

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

TIME FOR A REVAMP: A view of the runway of the International Airport.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 19. The re-carpeting of the 3,398-metre-long runway of the International Airport, being taken up by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of over Rs. 13 crores in view of the "wear and tear,'' would commence from November 1.

The AAI has already awarded the work contract to a Delhi- based private firm and the work was expected to be completed in five months, the Airport director, Narinder Kaushal, told The Hindu.

All the flight operations in the airport would be suspended from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the period for carrying out the work. Indian Airlines and Air India would have to reschedule their flights as these operate mostly during the eight-hour closure period.

The AAI has asked the National Airports Division (NAD) to take steps to issue "Notam'' (notice for airmen world over) on the daily eight-hour closure of the airport from November to May next. Notam is normally issued by the NAD one-and-a-half months ahead of closure of the airport.

The AAI has convened a meeting of all operating airlines to inform them of the runway closure. The operating airlines are expected to announce changes in their winter schedules, which come into effect from October.

Under the re-carpeting work, the entire runway and the runway strip— 75 metres on either side of the runway's central line— will be developed. The distressed areas which have developed "wear and tear'' would be cut from the foundation and re-laid.

After each day's work, the runway surface would be prepared so that the aircraft operations can continue and the aircraft can land smoothly.

"We are doing this to ensure that safety is not jeopardised. The passengers in the aircraft will not be able to make out any difference,'' Mr. Kaushal said.

A high-level technical committee headed by a General Manager of the AAI's headquarters in New Delhi had inspected the runway in February last year and recommended that the entire stretch be re-carpeted in view of "wear and tear, bleeding and ageing of the runway''.

The runway here had earlier been re-carpeted almost eight years ago.

The AAI's civil construction wing had carried out patchwork in critical areas of runway in September 2002. As many as five places, including those near the central line, was dug up and re-laid during the one-month repair work.

Along with this, the AAI has also awarded a Rs. 3 crore contract to increase the height of the perimeter wall in some stretches of the airport as part of enhancing security.

The work would be taken up along with the strengthening of the runway.

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