NEW DELHI: The flight handling capacity of Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport will remain severely curtailed till May-end as the runway will remain closed for nine hours a day between 9 am and 6 pm daily for re-carpeting. The work started on January 17 and is expected to get completed on May 31, 2022.
Since operations can happen between 6 pm and 9 am only, flights will need to be rescheduled. Airlines have begun reaching out to passengers for the same.
“The runway re-carpeting is done and we have tried to minimise flight disruptions by informing airlines well in advance. The work is essential to ensure safe flight movement. We are using the latest technology and putting in place all modern features,” said a senior official of Adani Airport.
A drop in any airport's capacity for runway re-carpeting always leads to flight disruptions, inconveniencing passengers. “But if it is needed to ensure safety, it has to be done. The ongoing Omicron surge has seen a sharp fall in passenger numbers. Also passengers tend not to book in advance now and do so closer to date of travel. So hopefully the number of passengers required to be rebooked due to flight rescheduling will not be very high this time,” said sources.
