Delhi airport: Runway repair sparks delays, flyers suffer

Airport officials confirmed that Delhi Airport, India’s busiest air terminal, is handling approximately 200 fewer flights daily since April 9

Passengers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi are facing significant flight delays and disruptions following the closure of one of the airport’s four runways for maintenance work that began on Tuesday.

The situation worsened on Friday when bad weather conditions compounded the existing capacity constraints. (HT Archive/Representational photo)

Airport officials confirmed that Delhi Airport, India’s busiest air terminal, is handling approximately 200 fewer flights daily since April 9 when runway 28/10 was closed for upgrades.

“The airport handles around 46 arrivals every hour. Since runway 28/10 [closed], as of now, maximum of 36 arrivals are being handled,” an official told HT, asking not to be named.

Accounts by several people suggested that airline operations may not have adjusted to the closure – which was a planned shutdown announced in February — with many left stranded at the terminal or on fully boarded flights with delayed departures.

Another passenger complained: “Passengers are struggling and sitting stranded in the @IndiGo6E flight 6E 5057 for almost 30 mins at Delhi airport... Flight is delayed by more than 2 hrs without any update.”

The situation worsened on Friday when bad weather conditions compounded the existing capacity constraints. According to Flightradar24, a live flight tracking website, arrivals were delayed by up to 81 minutes and departures by 102 minutes. Airport officials reported that 40 flights had to be diverted between 6.30pm and 10pm on Friday.

Thursday’s brief dust storm resulted in 269 delayed flights, with the number increasing to 370 by 10pm on Friday.

Several carriers, including IndiGo and Air India, have issued travel advisories informing passengers that the maintenance work would continue until July and urging them to monitor their flight status.

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar had announced in February that runway 28/10 would be temporarily closed for four to five months to upgrade the Instrument Landing System (ILS) to CAT III B standards, a change that will allow flight operations during low-visibility conditions, which frequently occur during Delhi’s foggy winters.

On Friday, Jaipuriar told reporters that the runway would be operational by September, well before the winter peak travel period, ensuring the upgraded runway would be available during the fog season.

Delhi airport handles over 1,200 flights daily

Delhi airport handles over 1,200 flights daily and operates four runways: 27-09, 28-10, 29L–11R, and 29R–11L, with the latter inaugurated in 2023.

Airline officials maintained they had prepared for the closure. “The airport had informed the airlines about the runway closure well in advance so they could plan accordingly,” said one airline official.

Another official explained: “Since the closure is a planned activity, airlines put strategies in place considering the Calculated Take-Off Time (CTOC) to reschedule flights in advance.”

Despite these preparations, delays persist. “With one main runway unavailable, flights are seeing delays of around 20 to 30 minutes, some even up to 45 minutes,” another airline official acknowledged.

Aviation expert Mark D Martin expressed surprise at the situation: “It is surprising that an airport like Delhi, with three operational runways, is seeing such delays. Mumbai, with two runways, manages about 48 aircraft movements per hour. Terminal congestion may be a bigger issue. Terminal 4 should have been operational by now, as per the master plan