Aviation ministry caps flights from Delhi, Mumbai

Seeking to decongest Delhi and Mumbai airports, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to cap the number of flights from the two metros till the end of September.

"No new flights have been cleared from the Delhi and Mumbai airports in the summer schedule," an official release said.

The two metro airports, which are being upgraded, have been facing severe congestion leading to aircraft spending several minutes waiting to take-off or land.

Hourly movements at the Delhi airport have been frozen at 35 during simultaneous use of runway and 30 during single runway operation, while hourly movement at the Mumbai airport has been frozen at 30, the release said.

The dual runway operation period at Delhi has been extended from nine to ten hours. It would now be between 0800 hrs and 1200 hrs in the morning and between 1600 hrs to 2200 hrs in the evening.

Both Delhi International Airport as well as Mumbai International Airport were being advised to expedite commissioning of more rapid exit taxiways in their respective airports, the release said.

Airports Authority of India has ordered that a departing aircraft would be permitted to enter beginning of an active runway and ordered for take-off after an incoming aircraft has confirmed vacating the runway after landing in the event of operation of a single runway case.