Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will inaugurate the dual elevated Eastern Cross Taxiways and the fourth runway of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on July 13.
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Initially, the new runway, named 'Runway 29 Right and 11 Left' (29R/11L), will be used exclusively for ‘departures’.
After the launch, Delhi airport will become the country's only airport to have four runways. Currently, the it operates with a three-runway system known as the northerly runway and southerly runway, designated as 27-28 North and 29 South.
According to Aeronautical Information Publication(AIP), "Commissioning of Runway 29R along with associated and other Taxiways and Re-Designation of Existing Taxiways at lGlA... effective from July 13, 2O23. The Runway 11V29R is not usable for landing and will only be used for departures."
According to data from the Delhi ATC, the introduction of the fourth runway will lead to an increase in flight movements, exceeding 100 flights per hour. Presently, Delhi ATC handles approximately 86 flights per hour.
On the other hand, with the Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT), the first of its kind in India, the distance an aircraft has to cover after landing on the third runway and going to Terminal 1 will reduce to 2 km from 9 km, a senior official said.
{{/usCountry}}On the other hand, with the Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT), the first of its kind in India, the distance an aircraft has to cover after landing on the third runway and going to Terminal 1 will reduce to 2 km from 9 km, a senior official said.
{{/usCountry}}The 2.1km long and 202m wide ECT will reduce the time spent on the tarmac by passengers before and after flight take-offs and landings.
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Meanwhile, the suspension of GoFirst and the reduction in flight movements during peak hours have affected the overall number of flights.
Once the fourth runway becomes operational, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) plans to temporarily close the other two runways, including the main runway, to continue to pending maintenance work.
(With inputs from agencies)