Mumbai airport will be shut for five hours from 11.30 am and 4.30 pm on April 23 and 30 for the completion of the runway lighting work. Airlines have rescheduled flights during this period on these two days.
The airport has two intersecting runways. At present, the Mumbai International Airport Ltd has been carrying out the reconstruction of the main runway. Besides, edge lights and centreline lights of the runways are also being shifted and realigned. The runway intersection will be closed on two Saturdays (April 23 and 30).
The closure would affect 120 flight movements during this period.
Mumbai’s main runway is 11,000 feet long and secondary is over 9,500 feet long. The intersection is close to the middle of the two runways. “If the intersection is shut, Only about 5,000 feet of either runway would be available. Only smaller planes like ATRs or Boeing 737-700 or turboprops would be able to alight. Navigation aids like Instrument Landing System will not be available and visibility requirement for flight operations, too, will be higher than normal,” said an airport source.
Jet Airways has announced rescheduling of its flights and a change of timing of its London-Mumbai-London flight (9W 117/118) on Friday and Saturday. The airline is also operating additonal flights to Goa, it said in a release.
