Construction work from March, airport authority warns pilots

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday issued a safety advisory for pilots operating flights out of the Mumbai airport owing to increased construction activity scheduled on the airfield from March 8.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday issued a safety advisory for pilots operating flights out of the Mumbai airport owing to increased construction activity scheduled on the airfield from March 8.

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Many short stretches on the airfield between the two runways and aircraft parking stands will be cordoned off for construction work scheduled to last more than two months.

The advisory asks pilots to be careful about labourers, machinery and vehicles moving on the airfield.

“Since certain patches would be dug open, pilots should be careful while taxiing close to them. Also, we do not want them to mistake obstruction lights used for blocking an area for normal airfield lights,” said a senior AAI official.

The AAI has published a list of six spots on the airfield prone to accidents.

These include the area where the two runways intersect and the intersection of the taxiways K1 and E7.

While the ongoing construction of a new taxiway adjoining the main runway is the most crucial airfield project, the airport will be conducting several other minor works between March 8 and May 20.

These include construction of a taxi lane to accommodate jumbo planes such as the Airbus A380.

The Mumbai International Airport Limited (Mial) is also scheduled to complete the widening of the stretch of the Mithi River passing under the runway.

The project was stopped last summer after airport workers found the surface beneath the runway has a thick rocky layer.

The AAI has also changed the traffic pattern from parking bays to the runway.