Mumbai: Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) said that both its runways– RWY 09/27 and RWY 14/32– will be closed on May 2 for six hours for maintenance work under its monsoon contingency plan. The scheduled temporary runway closure is an annual exercise and a contingency plan on the same will help maintain operational continuity and ensure passengers’ safety, PTI quoted the private airport operator as saying in a statement.
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The temporary closure will be from 11 am to 5 pm and a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) has been issued in this regard, CSMIA said. All operations will resume as usual from post 5 pm on May 2, it added.
Why Is It Important To Carry Out Runway Maintenance Work?
Mumbai Airport (CSMIA) handles about 900 flights daily. The repair work is a yearly practice and regular upkeep of it, especially during monsoon, will enable operational continuity and also ensure passengers’ safety.
“The CSMIA is one of the world’s busiest single runway airports and witnesses nearly 900 flight movements each day. The airport has a network of runways, taxiways and apron encompassing nearly 1,033 acres. Thus, to ensure operational continuity during the monsoon months, timely check and repair work on the runways and associated facilities is of utmost importance to maintain its health and operational continuity,” the official statement reads.
Before monsoon hits the city, the runways, taxiways, aprons, etc, that are spread over 1033 acres undergo repair work. “The yearly practice of runway maintenance work involves specialists in engineering and airside teams inspecting the runway surface for micro-texture and macro texture wear and tear that may have occurred due to day-to-day operations and help strengthening the airside strip,” read a statement from CSMIA.
Since this is a planned activity, CSMIA intimated its stakeholders six months in advance. In fact, since airlines are aware of the scheduled activity, they have already taken it into account and planned flight schedules accordingly.
