Airports come up with ways to keep ops smooth in Mumbai

City’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) along with Juhu airport has placed a contingency plan to tackle cyclone Nisarga. A majority of

City’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) along with Juhu airport has placed a contingency plan to tackle cyclone Nisarga. A majority of the flights were cancelled by airlines due to the cyclone on Wednesday. Instead of 25 departures and 25 arrivals, only 8 arrivals and 11 departures were scheduled.

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A statement by the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said, “In the wake of cyclone Nisarga, CSMIA convened a meeting with its stakeholders to devise preventive measures to tackle potential adversities accompanied by the cyclone. Preventive checks at different airport functions have been carried out and the airport has ensured uninterrupted power supply. Water pumps have been positioned across the airport to clear water in case of waterlogging and food and beverage counters will be operational 24/7 at the airport for passengers.”

Sources from CSMIA said that the small aircraft parked at the airport have been interlocked (tied close to each other) for their safety.

“Around 15 aircraft parked at CSMIA do not have hangars, in such cases, the airlines have been given an option to fly their aircraft and park them in any other airport, if suitable,” said the source.

A dedicated team has been placed on standby at the airport to assist amid cyclone.

“Special precautions have been taken for smaller and lighter aircraft as they are vulnerable to strong winds. Some aircraft have flown out of Mumbai until the cyclone passes while others have been asked to park inside the hangar. The airport has ensured that minimum aircraft are parked on the apron. The airport is closely coordinating with IMD to monitor the progress/dissipation of adverse weather,” the statement said.

Operators at Juhu airport too have shifted all the helicopters in their respective hangars.

Juhu airport director Ashok Kumar Verma said, “We are prepared to face the cyclone as we have not only taken care of our helicopters but also cleaned our drainage system in order to keep our airfield operational. We also have put in place pumping stations to remove all the accumulated water, if any, from the low lying area of the airport.”

Juhu airport handles around 120 helicopter and charter aircraft movements per day. However, after the lockdown, it is currently handling around 50 movements.

A Pawan Hans official said that currently they operate four helicopters everyday (for ONGC) and have continued to schedule them on Wednesday too. However, the decision on flying operations will be taken based on the weather conditions on Wednesday morning.

Stakeholders at CSMIA have also made arrangements for additional ground staff at the airport. “Measures have been taken to have sufficient staff at the airport for the smooth functioning of flight operations which include airport, airlines, security and air traffic staff. This is in case the other set of staff are unable to reach the airport on Wednesday due to the cyclone,” said an airport official.

The aviation regulator — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) too issued a circular to airline operators and pilots to re-iterate the existing guidelines and bring awareness on adverse weather and monsoon operations.

DGCA asked the airline operators to operate with pilots a level higher than the minimum experience, especially in cases where both crew members are operating after a long gap in flying. The operators were also asked to ensure the flight duty time limit (FDTL) requirements for crew should not be exceeded more than the approved limit by the DGCA.

“Runway surface condition and effect of the same on aircraft performance should be understood and taken into account for performance. Selection of a suitable destination alternate is also an important aspect during adverse and monsoon conditions,” the DGCA stated.

DGCA also asked the airlines to understand and decide their fuel availability before their flight before it starts to descend or diverts due to bad weather.

In adverse weather, a stabilised approach is the first step towards a safe landing, the DGCA said.