Work on constructing three rapid exit taxiways at Chennai airport is getting delayed and may not be finished before its deadline in March.
Owing to the ongoing work, flights have been rescheduled and the main runway shut down for several hours every day.
The three rapid exit taxiways will help decongest the airport, as they will ensure faster exit of aircraft from the runway. But it seems like this project may not be finished, officials said.
Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said of the three rapid exit taxiways, one will be completed soon but it may be tough to finish the other two. “Two rapid exit taxiways are meant for narrow-bodied aircraft (like A320s) and one for wide-bodied aircraft (like A380s). Initially, the work was slow and then because of rains, it was further delayed. If two rapid taxiways are not completed by March, then work may have to be shelved,” an official said.
Runway closed
This is because the main runway is closed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day and the secondary runway alone is in operation during this time. This arrangement cannot continue beyond March. “The schedule was planned after consulting airlines and other stakeholders; it may not be possible to proceed with the work after the given time,” another official said.
At present, the airport has one rapid exit taxiway and after that was constructed, the flight movement per hour increased from 32 to 36. If these three are built, then AAI plans to push it to 40. Also, the runway occupancy time will be brought down to 60 seconds.
