Delhi Airport To Operate All Four Runways From January, Easing Congestion At Aerodrome

 Anticipating smoother air traffic operations, all four runways at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport are expected to become operational in the first week of January 2024. As per official sources, the re-carpeting of Runway 28/10 has nearly concluded, with pending checks by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which is likely to take over the weekend.

"The final check by DGCA is pending and will likely be done by this week. After the go-ahead by DGCA, the runway will be operational. It will smoothen air traffic at Delhi airport," stated a senior Ministry of Civil Aviation official.

This development will increase the number of CAT-III-compliant runways at Delhi Airport, facilitating improved flight scheduling.

Runway 28/10 had been closed for scheduled re-carpeting since mid-September.

In light of recent dense fog in Delhi causing delays and diversions, the operationalization of all runways is expected to alleviate the challenges faced by passengers.

Additionally, the diversion of flights during fog depends on pilots being CAT-III trained.

Between December 25th and 28th, 58 flights were diverted from Delhi Airport, with 50 diversions attributed to pilots not being CAT-III trained. A CAT-III trained pilot is equipped to land an aircraft in dense fog with a visibility of about 100 meters.

Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog #FogAlert #DelhiAirport pic.twitter.com/alYrkYgijG — Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 26, 2023

Recently, DIAL posted a fog warning through social media platform X (formerly Twitter), revealing that flights not compliant with CAT III are likely to get affected. The CAT III-compliant flights, however, can land even if the visibility is low. "Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted," posted DIAL on X.

Air India’s FogCare Program

Air India has declared today that travellers flying to and from Delhi's IGI airport in the winter season can modify or cancel their reservations without incurring extra charges in case of significant fog-related delays. To assist affected passengers, Air India will provide proactive support and present uncomplicated options for rescheduling or cancelling tickets without incurring extra charges.