The second day of the airport ‘mega block’ on Tuesday went without a hitch when the contractors completed the crucial pre-monsoon maintenance work on the runway and intersection of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, clearing the strips of rubber deposits.
The airport closure affected the arrival and departure of 225 flights on Tuesday. Aircraft leave rubber deposits from their tyres when they land. Over time, aviation experts say, the build-up affects the level of friction of the runway, noticeably as a reduction in braking and ground-handling performance and this can lead to incidents such as runway overrun or a lateral slide off the runway.
A similar exercise will be carried out between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on October 23, and the airport will be closed during this period. Mumbai airport, like all others in the country, has incorporated rubber removal into its maintenance schedule, with the frequency based on the number of take-offs and landings on each runway. The process involves using water at high pressure, abrasives, chemicals and other mechanical means.
While IndiGo has cancelled 30 flights (arrivals and departures), Jet Airways’ website shows close to 70 cancellations, including international flights. A SpiceJet spokesperson said 18 flights have been cancelled. “Passengers are requested to connect with their respective airlines,” a statement from Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said.
“Jet Airways had planned well in advance to re-accommodate passengers who may have been affected due to the (runway) closure, on alternate flights,” an airline spokesperson said. IndiGo in a statement said it has cancelled some flights while rescheduling others. The airline, which didn’t reveal the number of cancelled or rescheduled flights, said it ensured that passengers were informed well in advance andthat the affected passengers were accommodated in other flights. GoAir said it has cancelled 14 flights in two days.
Mumbai airport, which handled 45.2 million passengers during financial year 2017, operates at nearly-full capacity. The airport, which has two crossing runways, sees about 970 flights land and take off every day, according to MIAL. The primary runway at the airport can handle up to 48 arrivals and departures an hour while the secondary runway can handle up to 35 arrivals and departures an hour, the official said.
In February, MIAL upgraded the Instrument Landing System, which will help guide aircraft to the centre of the runway.
