Mumbai International Airport’s Two Runways to be Closed for 6 Hours
Mumbai International Airport’s Two Runways to be Closed for 6 Hours
As part of the airport’s monsoon contingency plan, both the runways will be temporarily non-operational from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
9th May 2024
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport issued a passenger advisory informing the travellers to keep a check on their airline schedules on 9th May. As part of the airport’s monsoon contingency plan, both the runways will be temporarily non-operational from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. This closure is a yearly practice to look into the pre-monsoon maintenance and repair work.
The advisory read, “The Scheduled temporary runway closure is a yearly practice and the contingency plan on the same will help maintain operational continuity and ensure passengers’ safety. Passengers are requested to check with their respective airlines about their flights scheduled for 9th May, 2024.”
The release also mentioned that a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) had been issued to airlines and other parties in December so that the rescheduling of flights could be done ahead of time, minimising the inconvenience to the passengers. Hence, maintenance work should not impact any flight movement.
Primary runway 09/27 and the secondary runway 14/32 will be temporarily non-operational. The airport handles around 950 flights every day, with one runway, 09/27, spanning 3,448 metres in length and 60 metres in width, while the other, 14/32, measures 2,871 metres long and 45 metres wide.
The airport’s infrastructure, including its runways, taxiways and aprons, spans across almost 1,033 acres. Maintenance tasks involve examining the runway surface for signs of wear and tear, both at microtexture and macrotexture levels, resulting from regular operations. These efforts aim to enhance the durability and safety of the airside strip. For operational continuity, such yearly checks and repairs are imperative. All operations are expected to resume post 5:00 pm on 9th May.
