VISAKHAPATNAM: Around a dozen night flight services, including an International flight to Singapore, would be stopped from November of this year to accommodate resurfacing works of the runway in Visakhapatnam International Airport which is under the control of the Indian Navy.
These resurfacing works would take place during the winter which is a peak tourism season. Most of the airlines would generally increase their services in the winter season, but now various airlines were advised to make their Winter Schedule keeping in mind the resurfacing works, which is resulting in the closure of the runway from 9 pm to 8 am.
About 12 flight services including Singapore, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Bangalore, and Hyderabad services would be stalled during those 11 hours. As per the information received by the Airport Authorities from the Indian Navy authorities, the resurfacing works of the runway would start from November 15 of 2023 to the end of March 2024.
The Visakhapatnam Airport director S Raja Reddy told TOI that they have received information from the Navy authorities about the resurfacing works. “We have asked them to cut short the timing of the closure of the runway. We have already informed our higher authorities at headquarters in Delhi about resurfacing the runway. If the timing was reduced, then we can accommodate a few flights for the convenience of the passengers,” he said.
Most runway resurfacing is carried out at night, with contractors given access for just a few hours. They do the work in short bursts, completing a section each night and reopening it the next day, sources in the airport authority said.
The Indian Navy had taken up the resurfacing works in 2009 and it was due from 2019 as Covid conditions are one of the reasons for the delay, sources said. Around 60 movements of flights mean 30 take-offs and 30 landings would take place in a day.
According to sources, resurfacing works every 10 to 12 years are common in any airport. The resurfacing of the runway would be a three-layered work that would be carried out conforming to the prescribed standards and specifications.
The Navy authorities would take up resurfacing the 3050 meters (10,007 ft) long and 45 meters (148ft) wide runway that was inaugurated in 2007 to accommodate medium-sized and wide-body aircraft.
