Airport gets in the groove for rains

The new runway of Indira Gandhi International Airport is turning out to be best in the country, reports Sidhartha Roy.

The new runway of Indira Gandhi International Airport is turning out to be best in the country. Apart from being the longest and the only runway to allow landing in zero visibility from both directions, now it has become the first in the country to have grooves that will prevent aircraft from skidding during heavy rainfall.

HT Image

“Most international airports have grooved runways which increases the friction level so that aircraft don’t skid after landing,” said an official of a private airline who is also a trained pilot. “All Indian airports, however, have runways with a smooth surface. A runway becomes slippery after 3 mm of rain,” he said.

The surface water film flows into the grooves and the peaks between grooves come in contact with the aircraft wheels. The grooves at the airport follow the international standard of 6 mm depth and 38 mm width.

“Concrete surface of the new runway is grooved which enhances friction in dry and wet conditions,” said a spokesman of airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd.

Grooving on the runway was done sometime before the runway was inaugurated on August 21. Grooves have been cut on both ends of the runway that are made of concrete but not in the middle section that is built with asphalt. “That section can be taken up after sometime,” said an airport official.

The grooving was done by a joint venture between an Indian and Hong Kong based company.

“Delhi doesn’t witness heavy rainfall and the new runway is already slanted that helps to drain away water. Grooving eliminates any chance of an accident due skidding of aircraft,” the official said.

Though Delhi has not witnessed incidents of planes skidding on the runway in recent years, two such incidents were reported at Cochin airport in July last year during heavy rainfall.