Main runway shut for 3 hours; 340 flights delayed at Mumbai airport

htmetro@hindustantimes.com

The work on the instrument landing system (ILS) on the main runway of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) delayed around 340 flights on Monday.

The main runway was shut from 2pm to 5pm on Monday, leading to an average delay of 30 minutes in flight operations. During this period, flights were shifted to the secondary runway.

ILS is a standard International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) precision landing aid that guides the aircraft while landing under normal or adverse weather conditions. Two components of the ILS – glide path and the localiser – are being upgraded.

With the main runway unavailable, the flight operations are being carried out on VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) range.

According to the airport officials, the results of the ground tests conducted to check the working of the upgraded ILS were “satisfactory”. A special flight of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will calibrate the ILS. “This will be the final test. If the results are satisfactory, the ILS of main runway will be made available from Thursday,” said a senior AAI official.

Airport officials said that while most of the ILS testing work has been completed, a few minor works will be carried out on Tuesday. “The runway won’t be closed on Tuesday,” said a Mumbai International Airports Pvt Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson.

While the number of flights delayed was moderate during the day, the average delay in arriving and departing flights increased by evening.