Flight operations at the Biju Patnaik International Airport are set to be partially shut for eight months owing to recarpeting work on the main runway which is scheduled to be undertaken in two phases from November this year.
"We are going to undertake re-carpeting work on the main runway which will start from November 1 and it will be completed by June 30 next year. All preparations have been done and all the airline operators have been intimated about the plan," the Airport's Director SC Hota said.
Director Hota informed that the recarpeting work will be done in two phases. In the first phase, the flight operations will be shut during night hours and day services will be closed in the second phase.
"The work will be done in two phases -- the first phase will start from November 1 and end on March 31, 2020. During this time, we have decided to close operations during night hours from 10:00 pm to 5:30 am. In the second phase, from April 1st to June 30, 2020, operations will be closed during day hours from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm," Hota said.
"Bhubaneswar Airport is one of the busiest airports and closure of the runway for eight months is not easy for us. Because of this, we have chosen a less busy period so that air operators can reschedule their flights according to the available time slot," Hota added.
According to the data available with the Airport Director's office, there are four flights operating in the night hours from 10:00 pm to 5:30 am and 20 flights (arrival and departure) in day hours from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm.
Re-carpeting of the runway is a maintenance work which is usually done once in every 10 years. The task at the Bhubaneswar airport was last performed in 2007.
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