Main city runway opened for fog-hit flyers

Flyers between Mumbai and Delhi had some respite on Monday after a chaotic weekend, which saw several last minute cancellations and diversions due to heavy fog in Delhi.

Flyers between Mumbai and Delhi had some respite on Monday after a chaotic weekend, which saw several last minute cancellations and diversions due to heavy fog in Delhi.

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To reduce passenger inconvenience, the Mumbai airport operator suspended repair work on the main runway, which is shut for eight hours (9am to 5pm) daily, except Sundays, since November. “The main runway was used for operations because of low visibility. Flight movement was smoother compared to Sunday,” a Mumbai International Airport Limited spokesperson said.

However, both arrival and departures during the morning peak hours were delayed by 90 minutes because the secondary runway could not be used due to low visibility. The smaller runway is not equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS), a ground aid used to guide pilots during poor visibility.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said the airline has re-scheduled the timings of four flights till December 31 because of the fog.