Mumbai airport's main runway to be renovated; flight delays likely

Flight passengers travelling to or from Mumbai should brace for delays and disruptions as the main runway of the city's airport will remain close from November 7 to March 28.

The temporary shutdown of the runway is for maintenance purpose. The  runway of Mumbai airport will remain shut between 9:30 am to 5:30 pm from Monday to Saturday.

The main runway handles nearly 48 flight movements in one hour. The second runway (14/32) which has a capacity of 35 flight movements an hour will be operational during the period.

"The major rehabilitation / re-carpeting is planned to address all the stressed / cracked portions of the runway surface and portions of associated TWYs of RWY 09/27 by using conventional method of 'Hot Mix Overlaying' which shall include milling of the top surface and overlaying it with bituminous materials in two layers. The work will  also include re-carpeting of portion of taxiways intersecting with RWY 09/27, up to  runway holding position (RHP)," an official statement said, reported CNBC TV 18.

The main runway will be operational at all hours on December 25, January 1, January 15, February 19, February 21, March 10 and March 25, in view of the festivals and holidays.

Mumbai airport is the second busiest in the country after Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGAI). Mumbai airport handles around 1,000 flight movements in a day, while Delhi handles nearly 1,300 flight movements daily.

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