 "Private carriers resume operations at Jammu airport")
Private carriers resumed operations at Jammu airport on Saturday, a day after 30 flights were cancelled due to runway issues. “All the private carriers operated to and from the Jammu airport on Saturday. However, there were some restrictions related to the aircraft load,” said D K Gautam, Airports Authority of India (AAI) director at Jammu airport.
As many as 2,500 passengers were left stranded at the airport on Friday following an alert by Indian Air Force (IAF), which maintains the runway, that the runway wasn't sturdy enough to carry heavy loads. However, the alert was withdrawn on Friday evening.
An expert team from AAI is inspecting the runway twice a day and sending daily reports to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Simultaneously, the IAF has been directed to start re-carpeting a portion of the runway.
Together, Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet operate at least 32 flights a day from Jammu airport.
The IAF had conducted a study that found the load-bearing capacity of the runway at the airport had decreased significantly. Subsequently, it reduced the pavement classification, meaning the runway would be able to handle a lower aircraft load. The alert, dated October 7, was to be effective from October 14-January 14, 2016.
As the DGCA claimed it received the alert only on Wednesday evening, it immediately advised airlines to carry less load while landing or taking off. However, private carriers had decided not to operate any flight on Friday.
