CAT III runway reopening at Delhi airport postponed due to “technical issues”
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21th Jan. The main airstrip at Delhi airport, 28/10, will require at least another week to reopen after planned renovations and re-carpeting. The original schedule called for it to open on January 19.
The system integration at the runway could not be finished on time, according to the Delhi airport, because of “unforeseen technical issues”.
The 28/10 runway has dimensions of 45 meters by 3,813 meters. It can function in limited visibility because it complies with CAT III standards. Since mid-September 2023, the runway has been closed for re-carpeting.
“It should be finished in eight to ten days. In order to finish the procedure as fast as possible, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and its partner Honeywell are working hard, according to the airport.
The airport also announced that the 28/10 runway’s renovation and construction were successfully finished.
This comes after the airport in Delhi informed the Civil Aviation Ministry last week that the G20 Summit and the implementation of GRAP-IV anti-pollution measures in the nation’s capital had delayed the 28/10 runway’s operationalization.
It stated that only following the G20 Summit could the renovation project be started. On January 26, the recently built fourth runway at Delhi Airport is expected to achieve CAT III compliance. As a result, three of the airport’s four runways will be CAT III compliant.
Currently, the two airstrips that are closest to the Gurugram side, 28/10 and 29L/11R, are CAT III compliant, but 1L/29R and 09/27 are not CAT IIIB compliant.
“After the rehabilitation project is finished, Delhi Airport will be prepared to operate at maximum capacity in the future. The announcement stated that the airside capacity would be improved to accommodate 140 MPPA, and the three terminals’ combined passenger handling capacity would rise to 100 million passengers annually (MPPA).
This occurrence occurred shortly after there was widespread congestion at the airport for several weeks due to extreme fog in North India, which caused low to zero visibility in Delhi.
Due to extreme cold and fog, the airport had to close its single operating runway, 29L/11R, which complies with CAT III, for a brief period of time on January 14.
The Delhi airport also sent a letter to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over a crane that was obstructing the view from the Gurugram end of the 29L/11R airstrip. This meant that one side of the runway, which is the only one in operation that complies with CAT III, was not suitable for landings in low visibility.
