Travellers taking flights to and from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Thursday could face slight delays as airport authorities are set to commission the upgraded runway.
With the upgraded runway, the airport’s capacity will increase from 34 air traffic movements an hour to 38. The runway work, which included two rapid-exit taxiways (RETs), commenced in early February.
Progressively, the airport will be able to handle 44 air traffic movements an hour. While the current runway has three RETs, two more are being added now.
With the commissioning work along with the related preparatory work set to be carried out between 6 a.m. and 3.30 p.m, flights landing and taking off between 11 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. are expected to be delayed by approximately 20 minutes, said a press release from airport operator Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL) on Wednesday.
‘Not peak period’
BIAL sources said the period between 11 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. is not peak time for airport operations. “While the morning and evening have peak hours, the afternoons will have a certain amount of air traffic. Airlines operating flights in these hours have been intimated,” a source said.
Sources also said with the addition of the two RETs, the airport will be able to handle more air traffic. Incidentally, about 70,000 passengers use the airport daily and 500 air traffic movements are reported. “These numbers could go up after the commissioning of the upgraded runway,” the source said.
The BIAL release said the airport authorities have taken into view the long-term benefit of increased capacity for the upcoming seasons till the second runway is ready. That runway is expected to be ready for operations by September 2019.
The release also said the upgrade work, carried out in a phased manner, involved closure of the runway and partial closure of other facilities without impacting airport operations. It said that major works were undertaken from February 19 to April 30. The construction of the RETs was based on the recommendation of leading global consultants appointed by a joint working group constituted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Check with your airline
Passengers taking flights after 11 a.m. have been requested to check with their respective airlines on the flight schedule. Passengers can also check for changes in flight operations on the website www.bengaluruairport.com or follow the Twitter handle @BLRAirport.
