Fewer delays at airport after DGCA intervention

A day after the aviation regulator stepped in to curb flight delays at the city airport, the airport witnessed fewer delays on Tuesday.

A day after the aviation regulator stepped in to curb flight delays at the city airport, the airport witnessed fewer delays on Tuesday.

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The airport got a break from manic arrival delays as compared to chaos witnessed in the city skies during the latter half of last week.

HT had reported on Monday about the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) move to track flights that were
reaching the city airspace before their scheduled arrival time leading to congestion and delays.

Unlike last week, when city-bound flights had to hover above the airport for around 30 minutes, flight movement on Tuesday was much better, said airport sources.

“It seems that airlines are sticking to the schedule because they are under watch,” said an air traffic control official requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

Until the regulator’s intervention airlines had been allegedly manipulating their evening flight timings to reach the city between 8pm to 10pm, which is the most popular slot among fliers.

The purpose behind tweaking flight timings is to get maximum passenger occupancy because most fliers prefer
travelling during that period.

Meanwhile, the DGCA has also asked the Delhi International Airport Limited to monitor take-off timings for Mumbai-bound flights.

The menace of manipulating flight timings has been on in the Delhi-Mumbai route, the country’s busiest air corridor, said sources in the DGCA.