A Jetlite Boeing 737-800, registration VT-SJH performing flight S2-320 from Kolkata to New Delhi with 140 persons on board, was forced to make three landing attempts due to weather and a fault Instrument Landing System at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The flight was on approach to New Delhi's runway 29, when a thunderstorm went into its final approach and landing path. The crew aborted the landing and requested for a different runway.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) vectored the aircraft for an ILS approach to runway 11 (the opposite side of runway 29). However, when the crew attempted to intercept the ILS localizer on runway 11, the ILS was found to be malfunctioning.

Air Traffic Control then instructed the pilots to swing over to runway 10. However, while the airplane manoeuvred to align with runway 10, Air Traffic Control reported that the ILS on runway 11 was now working.

The airplane finally landed on runway 11 on the third approach 20 minutes after the first approach attempt.

JetLite refused to answer my queries if they have lodged any complaint or protest about the malfunctions with either the Airports Authority of India (AAI) whose controllers operate the ATC or with the airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). They issued me this statement

"Due to weather detected on the aircraft weather radar S2 320 requested a runway change from R/W 29 to R/W 11. While the aircraft was being vectored for an approach to R/W 11, non-availability of the ILS (Instrument Landing System) of R/W 11 necessitated the change of the approach to R/W10. However, during the approach to R/W 10 a downgrade of the R/W10 ILS and subsequent availability of R/W 11 ILS resulted in the approach and landing being made on R/W 11. The changes in the approaches did not result in any go-arounds."

METARS:
VIDP 291300Z 00000KT 3500 HZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN090 23/19 Q1010 TEMPO TSRA
VIDP 291230Z 18005KT 3500 HZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 23/19 Q1009 TEMPO TSRA
VIDP 291200Z 18006KT 3500 -DZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 23/18 Q1009 TEMPO TSRA
VIDP 291100Z 18005KT 3500 HZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 26/17 Q1009 NOSIG
VIDP 291030Z 20005KT 3500 HZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 26/17 Q1009 NOSIG
VIDP 290930Z 31005KT 2800 TS SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 27/17 Q1010 BECMG 3000
VIDP 290900Z 28003KT 2800 HZ SCT035 FEW040CB BKN100 28/17 Q1010 NOSIG
VIDP 290830Z 01005KT 2600 HZ FEW035 FEW040CB BKN100 28/17 Q1010 NOSIG
VIDP 290730Z 32005KT 2800 HZ FEW035 FEW040CB BKN100 27/18 Q1010 BECMG 3000
VIDP 290700Z 34005KT 2800 HZ FEW035 FEW040CB BKN100 27/18 Q1011 NOSIG

Thanks to Simon Hradecky at Aviation Herald for the tip.

The new domestic departure terminal 1D at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at New Delhi will commence operations in two phases from April 11 and April 18.

With the exception of Go Air, all airlines from the old departure terminal 1B will move to terminal 1D, along with Kingfisher Airlines who will shift from terminal 1A. Go Air will shift to terminal 1A. State carrier Air India will remain in terminal 1A.

On April 11, only Jet Airways and and its low cost subsidiary Jetlite will move to the new terminal, since they are the dominant private airline at IGIA. A week later, on April 18, after these two airlines would have settled down in the new terminal, the operations of all other airlines from terminal 1B like SpiceJet and IndiGo, along with Kingfisher will be shifted.

To provide for time to shift, the last departure from the old terminals is planned around 22:30 (10.30 pm) local on April 10 and April 17 respectively. The operations will recommence at terminal 1D at 05:00 the following mornings.

IGIA airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has taken the help of a team from Munich airport to assist in the shift and also conduct the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT).

The Indian government has approved a ten per cent increase in aeronautical charges at 84 airports across India operated by the state owned Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This at a time when airports across Asia and in many parts of the world, are reducing airport and passenger charges to stimulate air travel.

These charges include landing, parking and terminal area navigation fees that airlines pay for using airports. Naturally, one should expect the airlines will pass on the costs to us passengers, in the form of higher fares, but at a time when airlines globally are in meltdown, will they be able to ? Conveniently, the ministry expect airlines to absorb the increases. They are already bleeding so what difference will a little more make.

Since the start of this year, the Civil Aviation ministry headed by Mr. Praful Patel, has approved increases in aeronautical charges at the now privately operated brownfield airports at Mumbai and Delhi, which account for close to 60 per cent of India's total air traffic.

The three privately operated greenfield airports at Bangalore, Kochi, and Hyderabad can also be expected to increase their charges, since they are allowed, by contract, to charge what AAI charges.

The government is also expected to clear AAI's proposal for charging development fees from departing passengers at places like Thiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Goa, Amritsar and Ahmedabad. Reflecting a warped thinking at the ministry, as demonstrated by the exorbitant fee differential between domestic and international passengers, we can be certain that airports with higher international traffic will have their development fee proposal cleared cleared first.

Airport developers claim a resource crunch in implementing their development plans during the current economic slowdown. The sharp fall in passengers and freight have affected revenue and business plans. Thanks to its lopsided planning, the government has created monopolies and cartels out of airports. Let us not forget, this is the same government which screamed "cartelisation", just two weeks ago, when private airlines raised their fares.

Risks are inherent in any business, and in a competitive scenario economic downturns are great drivers of efficiency maximisation, leaner organisations and cost effective operations.

Indian passengers have no problem paying for facilities -- once they are built; but asking us to pay for them in advance and cover the business risks of these monopoly airport operators is not acceptable. Instead of protecting passengers, the government is only aiding this huge cartel of monopolies called airport operators.

The airport operators at Delhi and Mumbai airports have a mantra as far us passengers go. "Heads I win, tails you lose"

After a messy process, in May 2006, the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was handed over to the Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) consortium led by the GMR group, for modernising, handling and management. GMR won the bid for by promising to share 46% of the airport’s top-line revenue with the current owner Airports Authority of India (AAI).

DIAL estimates for their master plan was Rs 8,975 crore ($1.8 billion). Funds were to be raised by a combination of equity, borrowings and Rs. 2,739 crore ($476 million) refundable security deposits on commercial property development of what was called a “hospitality district”.


Through the middle of 2006 till the latter half of 2007, DIAL tried, what can only be charitably described as a very devious method, to reduce the revenue paid to AAI as part of their 46% revenue share. In short, DIAL demanded astronomical deposits upfront from bidders for the real estate project, in return for a reduction in long term rent, and then contended these deposits were not income, and therefore need not be shared with AAI. For full and gory details I refer you to Sunil Jain’s article “Mr. 20 per cent” in the Business Standard. Since this scheme would have cut AAI’s revenue share by almost half, it confronted DIAL and forced the consortium to put its plans on hold.

This delay cost DIAL dearly. By the time all disputes were settled in late 2007, the property market collapsed, and along with it the grandiose plans of raising the required Rs. 2,739 crore from security deposits, without which the bankers would not lend any more money.

Hanging the upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games as a Damocles sword, DIAL quickly ran to their friends in the Indian Civil Aviation ministry for help, and help they did.

On February 10, the government approved a levy of an "Airport Development Fee" (ADF) by DIAL. From March 1, we passengers are forced to pay ADF at the rate of Rs 200 per domestic passenger and Rs 1,300 per passenger travelling abroad, totalling a whopping Rs. 1827 crores ($366 million) over three years. This, keep in mind, is on top of a recent 10% increase in fees the airport charges airlines, which is ultimately passed on to us passengers.

In a "me-too" move, fellow brown-field airport operator, GVK led Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL), seized the opportunity to gain a bonanza, and has obtained approval for levy of an ADF, again, on top of a recent hike of airport charges levied on airlines, which, by the way, was used by DIAL as justification for demanding a hike.

In a totally unjustified move, the government today approved levying an ADF at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). Rs. 100 will be charged from every outbound domestic passenger and Rs. 600 from each international passenger, effective April 1, 2009, totalling Rs. 1,543 crores ($309 million) over the next four years.

Forget the fact that MIAL is facing no "commonwealth games" type deadline, or that they have till date, spent less than one-third of what DIAL has already spent on developing the airport.

Unfortunately, this is a slippery slope the Government put itself and us passengers on, when they approved ADF for DIAL. They have no grounds for refusing MIAL's demands.

The justification offered by DIAL, MIAL, and their friends in the ministry, is the ADF will be used to develop aeronautical assets which will be transferred back to AAI upon completion of the lease. Never mind that the lease is for 58 years, and passengers are being asked to pay for future assets that they may not use, and this asset creation is precisely what the property development concession rights were meant to cover ???

When both these airport operators bid for the respective airports, there was no condition or plan for the levy of ADF. It was never part of the initial bidding conditions, process or bid documents.

Had the property market not collapsed, DIAL and MIAL would have made a killing on the property development. In such a scenario would DIAL and MIAL have paid an amount equal to the ADF back to passengers as they share of gain? If the economic tide has turned, it a business risk and ultimately DIAL's and MIAL's problem.

It all boils down to DIAL and MIAL raising the collateral money insisted by the banks who have agreed to lend the remaining amount. Unfortunately the shareholders of DIAL and MIAL do not have the financial strength to do.

They have a means to raise the funds, like any other company in the world. They can sell their shares and raise equity. So DIAL and MIAL can sell shares to us passengers against the ADF.

If airport operators want us passengers to bear their share of the risks, it is only fair that we be given our share in the rewards.

The new domestic departure terminal T1D at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was inaugurated today by Mr. Praful Patel India's Civil Aviation minister.

The new terminal is located between the existing Domestic Arrival T1C and Domestic Departure T1A, and will raise the capacity of domestic departures to 10 million passengers per annum.

The terminal is a dual level terminal with departures at the upper level. It features eight entry gates, and a four layer in-line baggage X-ray system which will free passengers from having to get their check in bags scanned prior to check-in. There are 72 check-in counters and 16 self check-in kiosks spread across 8 rows. The terminal features the CUTE or Common Use Terminal Equipment system, which allows dynamic allocation of counters to airlines depending on need.

Hopefully the CISF would man all 16 channels of the security check to ensure quick and smooth passage for travellers.

The large departure lounge features food and beverage outlets, lounges and retail areas spread across 2 levels.

The airport operator DIAL has announced availability of Wi-fi internet connectivity, but details are not provided.

Flight boarding will take place at the lower level via coach bus to the aircraft via 16 boarding gates. Again it remains to be seen, how many of these gates are operated in parallel by the CISF.

In addition, a special ‘Contact Zone’ service will be available near the terminal entrance to provide facilities for passengers with special needs - passing through the Airport. These would include wheel-chair assistance for physically challenged passengers, assistance for unaccompanied minors amongst others.

The Government has approved the levy of Development Fee (DF) by the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) @ Rs.1300/- per departing international passenger and @ Rs.200/- per departing domestic passenger with effect from 1 March, 2009. The DF which is being levied purely on an adhoc basis, is inclusive of all applicable taxes and is for a period of 36 months only.

This approval shall be reviewed specifically upon the following milestones:

• DIAL will submit final project cost estimates within 6 months of the commencement of the levy of DF, i.e. latest by 31 August, 2009. The project cost so submitted, including amount of contingencies, and their utilization shall be audited by an independent technical auditor to be appointed by Airport Authority of India (AAI) or as the Regulator / Government may decide.
• DIAL will undertake a review of the bidding process in respect of the hospitality district. They may approach the Government with the outcome of the review within 6 months of the commencement of the levy, i.e. latest by 31 August, 2009.

The approval is subject to the following conditions:-

• The final determination of levy may be made by the Government/Regulator upon compliance of the above two milestones.
• Following procedure monitoring mechanism shall be followed:
1. DF receipts would be deposited in a separate Escrow Account. Modalities of the Escrow Account may be decided by DIAL, with the approval of the AAI, atleast one week before the commencement of levy.
2. AAI and the Central Government would have supervening powers in respect of Escrow Account to ensure that all receipts are properly accounted for and are utilized only for permitted purposes. These powers may include stoppage of withdrawal by DIAL.
3. Presently, other capital receipts like equity and debt funds are channelized through another Escrow Account of DIAL as per OMDA requirements. The Independent Auditor appointed by AAI, presently verifies only the revenue as defined in Article 1.1. of OMDA and not the receipts of capital nature and utilization thereof. As a condition of this approval, DIAL would be required to subject such capital receipts and expenditure also to AAI supervision.
4. All accounting and auditing practices, as would have been applicable to AAI, will be applicable to DF receipts and expenditure by DIAL. The modalities in this respect should be worked out between AAI and DIAL, atleast one week before the commencement of levy.
5. The compliance in respect of the above issues will be furnished by AAI and DIAL to the Central Government on event basis as well as on a periodical monthly basis.

• It will be ensured that DF is utilized for the development of such “Aeronautical Assets” only, which are “Transfer Assets” in terms of OMDA.
• DIAL should report the collection and usage of DF on a monthly basis to Central Government / Regulator through AAI.
• The levy will be reviewed 6 months after commencement by the Regulator/Central Government and thereafter at such intervals as the Regulator/Central Government may decide.
• At the stage of final determination, Regulator/Central Government will ensure adequate consultation with the users.
• The amount collected through DF would not in any case exceed the ceiling of Rs.1827/- crores (NPV as on 1.3.2009). The ceiling amount would be exclusive of taxes, if any.
• The balance amount of Rs.1250 crores received as shareholders advance (i.e., Rs.1750 crores net of Rs.500 crores to be appropriated towards equity) would be retained by DIAL. Any escalations of cost would be met from the amount so retained. In case the cost escalation is less than the retained amount, the ceiling amount of Rs.1827 crores would be reduced by an amount which is equal to the difference between the retained amount of Rs.1250 crores and the amount representing project cost escalation beyond Rs.8975 crores.
• Rate and tenure of levy are premised upon the traffic projections and other estimates. In case due to actual figures being different than those estimated, the collections during levy period exceed the amount of Rs.1827 crores (NPV as on 1.3.2009) or any other amount which the Regulator/Central Government may determine, the excess amount so collected shall not be utilized, for any purpose whatsoever, without the prior approval of the Regulator/Central Government.

The Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) are undertaking modernization, development and upgradation of IGI Airport, New Delhi as per the approved Master Plan. DIAL had estimated that the Master Plan will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 8975 crores. Requisite funds were to be raised through Rupee Term Loan, External Commercial Borrowings (ECB), Base Equity, Internal Accruals and Refundable Security Deposits (RSD) from Hospitality District (commercial property development). However, it has now been brought to the notice of the Central Government that DIAL are unable to raise Refundable Security Deposits to the extent anticipated and a substantial short fall is expected. It has also been stated that the lenders have not agreed to extend any further debt as the existing debt arrangement takes into account all possible revenue streams and have suggested that levy in the nature of capital receipts to leverage any additional debt. The shareholders have brought in shareholders’ advances to the extent of Rs. 1250 crores and are not in a position to take additional equity exposure beyond Rs. 1200 crores. Further, the present declining air traffic scenario has adversely impacted the revenue streams of DIAL and the Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR). Accordingly, DIAL have proposed a levy of DF under Section 22A of the AAI Act, 1994 @ Rs. 350/- per departing domestic passenger and @ Rs. 1000 per departing international passenger for a period of 39 months.

The proposal of DIAL was examined by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Airports Authority of India. The Government also engaged M/s KPMG Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. to undertake diligence and verification of the proposal submitted by DIAL. Government has been advised that DIAL can levy DF under Section 22A read with Section 12A of the AAI Act for the purposes mentioned in clause (a) of Section 22A. Further, the completion of project by March 2010, i.e., in time for Common Wealth Games 2010 was of utmost importance. Keeping in view the position that all other funding options appeared to have been exhausted, there was no option but to levy a pre-funding charge as contemplated under Section 22A so as to ensure timely completion of the project. Such pre-funding charges are accepted by ICAO subject to compliance with laid down guidelines/principles.

The Central Government have, accordingly, approved the levy of DF by DIAL @ Rs. 1300 per departing international passenger and @ Rs. 200 per departing domestic passenger w.e.f. 1.03.2009 for a period of 36 months, inclusive of all applicable taxes, purely on an ad-hoc basis, to fund an estimated short fall of Rs. 1827 crores. This approval is subject to review after 6 months when DIAL is expected to furnish the final project cost, which will be audited by an Independent Technical Auditor. DIAL have also been advised to review the bidding process of the Hospitality District to explore the possibility of raising further resources therefrom. A detailed accounting/monitoring mechanism is required to be put in place, inter-alia, including deposit of all DF receipts in a separate Escrow Account where AAI and the Central Government will have supervening powers; the account will be maintained as per accounting and audit procedures followed by AAI etc. AAI will play a critical role in the monitoring of levy and usage of DF and keep the Ministry apprised. The DF receipts shall be utilized only for construction of such “aeronautical assets” as are required to be “transferred” to AAI by DIAL upon expiry of the lease of IGI airport. The shareholders advances amounting to Rs. 1250 crores shall be retained in the project to fund expected increase in project costs.

Source : Press Information Bureau, Government of India

Contact Zone, a first of its kind service at Indian Airports, has been established near Gate 1 of Terminal 2 (International) at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) for catering to passengers with special needs, like physically challenged passengers, and unaccompanied minors amongst others.

Currently, facilitation for passengers requiring special assistance is coordinated directly by the airline. However, security rules prevent those accompanying the passengers inside the terminal creating difficulty for the passengers. The ‘Contact Zone’ is aimed at bridging this gap by facilitating the coordination between the airlines and the traveller.

Two parking slots are reserved in the Contact Zone for passengers requiring Wheel Chair assistance, and the airport operator, DIAL's Customer Service Executives and porters have been deputed for coordination and facilitation.

While the passengers wait in the special area provided, the Executive posted at the Contact Zone will in turn contact the concerned airline for deputing their staff for help complete the departure formalities. DIAL has requested the airlines to depute staff to frequently visit the drop off area.

At present the 'Contact Zone' will cater only to international passengers, but it expected to be extended to the new domestic departure terminals, but a time frame has not been provided.

While not much to write home about, this is a step in the right direction. Indian aviation has a very poor track record when it comes to catering to the special needs passenger.

My post The world's most delayed and most punctual airports, seems to have ignited a media frenzy within India.

Times of India carried snippets from the article Sunday 11th January, which became a national story, and was picked up later that morning by the TV networks.

A lot of Bangalore Aviation readers have been asking me questions relating to the article.

Why are Mumbai and Delhi airports at the top of the list of delayed flight arrivals?

It is actually very simple. At both airports the number of flights arriving per hour exceeds the capacity of the runways. At Mumbai, there are two runways, but they cross each other in an X shape. There are also limitations of taxiways, but, I will not go into such a high level of detail.

Bottom line, the capacity of Mumbai airport is 30 landings per hour, but with a little juggling and using the crossing runway, the Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) is able to push the number up to 36 per hour. But the demand is even higher.

It's a similar situation with Delhi airport, which inaugurated a new third runway, plagued with problems. Drainage, non-functional aeronautical aids, and to top it off, some faceless bureaucrat, probably encouraged by a narcissist politician, allowed a 40 feet (4 storey) tall statue of Lord Shiva along the path of the runway. Now the new runway cannot be used by the Airbus A380, the very aircraft it was specifically built for, till that statue is removed. And we all know, how very impossible that is, in a religiously charged India.

Add to this excess demand and weather. Fog in Delhi, and rains in Mumbai. The system is so over-capacity that it provides the ATC absolutely no room to manoeuvre during bad weather, and flights get even more delayed.

If Mumbai and Delhi are at the top of the list for delayed arrivals, why are they not at the top of the list for delayed departures?

The clock gets reset to the revised departure time, due to the late arrival of the incoming aircraft. The departure time is measured when the airplane doors are closed. Airlines get their passengers on board, close the doors, and then wait for taxi clearance. Due to the traffic jam in the skies, you will find that your aircraft will taxi, and then wait in line, for a long time, to take-off.

Why is Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) at rank 4 in the Top 5 list of most delayed arrivals? Is it not an efficient airport?

BIA is an efficient airport, no doubt. I suspect three reasons. One is thrust on to BIA, one is temporary, and one needs to be addressed.

One, and this is the biggest reason, as the airport spokesperson said, Bangalore's dependence on trunk routes. i.e. Bangalore-Mumbai, Bangalore-Delhi, and more especially after the increase in fares, which dropped the bottom out of regional flights. Flights from Mumbai and Delhi, may leave their gate/stand on time, but get delayed in take-off. So the blame lands up on Bangalore's door-step for the late arrival. It is unfair.

Two, last year, when the new airport opened, there was massive disruption for about a month. I suspect this brought down the overall performance of Bangalore. On the positive side, everyone at BIA have been working very hard, and the kinks have been solved. I suspect Bangalore will be off the list in 2009.

Third, and I have highlighted it in my original post, is weather. Bangalore suffers from fog, between 15th November to 15th February, typically between 3AM and 8:30AM. 6AM to 10AM is peak period, and the fog impacts the performance of arriving and departing aircraft. While fog is limited to a short period in the year, the disruptions are significant enough, to lower the overall annual performance.

The Instrument Landing System at BIA, has been installed incorrectly. Despite being CAT-II capable, which will permit operations in poorer visibility conditions, the equipment is forced to function at CAT-I level. (For a better understanding of CAT levels please read this Wikipedia article).

How, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is responsible for the equipment, and has installed over a hundred ILS systems, managed this blunder, is beyond me. Repairs of the installation were to have been carried out during the first six months of operations, i.e. by end November 2008, but given the delays this winter season, they obviously have not.

What is the solution?

We all want to fly during the peak hours of 6AM and 10AM and 5PM and 7PM.

While domestic traffic has declined, the demand during peak hours is sharper. Now that the economy is in the tank, we want to reduce our costs and try and complete all our work in a day trip, or at least not waste the working hours, flying.

Mumbai and Delhi are still way too overloaded, especially during the peak period.

With overall reduction in air traffic and shrinking incomes, there is pressure from the private airport operators MIAL and DIAL, on the ATC to accommodate more flights, as they scramble to earn more income. I cannot fault them. They are in business for profit, not charity, but this adds to the problem.

This economic connection, is the single path to solutions.

The first part of the solution lies with the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA). It is time they woke up from their slumber, audit the airports, and allocate the maximum number of flights per hour. Any airport scheduling more flights than capacity pays a hefty fine, and is open to punitive law suits from delayed passengers for permitting flights greater than capacity.

To help the airports demand the needed reductions from the airlines, the second part of the solution lies in changing the system of flight slot allocations. India follows a system of "historic rights", i.e. once an airline gets a slot, then they continue to get that slot, till such time they revoke it. Which no airline ever does. Move to system of performance based allocation :

• If a flight gets delayed, they loose their place in the queue. Similar to an appointment at the doctor, wait for the next appointment to open up, rather than delaying everyone in the queue behind you.
• Mr. Airline you want a premium landing or take-off slot, pay a premium for it. Hey, but that is unfair to the low cost airlines ? Sorry, but life is not fair.

The airlines can recover the premiums they pay for the slot, from the passengers as a higher fare. They used to charge Rs. 150 ~ Rs. 300 "congestion surcharge", in any case. We passengers who are flying during peak hours, are already paying for them benefit.

Third, and this is partly under way, optimise the air traffic control system. Implement Gagan and the GBAS systems fast. Encourage airlines to use Performance Based Navigation (PBN), and reward those who do.

In the mean time, force the air traffic controllers and pilots to perform efficiently. Right now, the system calls for a two minute separation or 5 nautical miles (10km). World over airports function with a 90 second separation, some even at 60 seconds. A 25 per cent reduction in separation from 120 seconds to 90 seconds at the major airports, will result in a 50 per cent increase in capacity from 30 movements to 45 movements.

Pilots don't react fast enough in the sky, SPIN 'EM. They can land nice and easy sometime before the day is out. Foreign pilots cannot speak English fluently, DE-CERTIFY 'EM. They can fly in less congestion countries. Controllers cannot cope, TRANSFER 'EM. Let them go to nice and easy Jabalpur, Guwahati, or one of the smaller airports in India.

We risk a future similar to La Guardia airport, where the US Department of Transportation is forcing slot reductions, since the system cannot cope any more.

It is time for some radical solutions to this creaking system.

In his weekly column "Rational Expectations", Sunil Jain has written an excellent article titled "Mr. 20 per cent" highlighting the financial shenanigans played by the operator of Indira Gandhi International Airport, GMR promoted Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), and the resultant negative impact not just on Airports Authority of India (AAI), but also on DIAL itself.

His postscript says it all

If DIAL hadn’t tried to shortchange AAI and had its plans thwarted last year, it could have given 46 per cent of the deposits to AAI and still kept Rs 9,500 crore (54 per cent of Rs 17,590 crore) — if prices fall by half now, it gets to keep just Rs 4,475 crore! Playing by the book helps.

It is important to remember, the owners of GMR are rumoured to be "close" to various politicians of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, as well as the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the parent of AAI.

Read the full article.

At a time when airport authorities in Singapore, Thailand, Korea, and Taiwan, are reducing their airport charges to stimulate air travel, travellers flying from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai will pay more soon.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has recently sent a letter to the GVK promoted, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), allowing the airport operator to increase aeronautical charges by ten per cent which in turn will be passed on to the passengers.

Aeronautical charges comprise Passenger Service Fee (PSF) currently at Rs. 225, and aircraft landing and parking charges. According to a report in Economic Times, certain sources informed that MoCA has allowed MIAL to increase aeronautical charges by ten per cent effective January 1, 2009. MIAL has already issued a circular in this regard to airlines. A ten per cent increase in airport charges will add to about Rs 35 crore to the airport’s total annual revenue.

Passengers can expect a similar hike at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport operator, GMR promoted, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

In the Rajya Sabha today, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Praful Patel informed the Parliament today that airport developers both in public and private sectors are not getting their dues from the airlines on time which is causing them financial problems.

As per the minister's statement in the house

In respect of Airports Authority of India’s (AAI), the dues, in Rs. Crore (Rs. 5 Cr = $1 million) of defaulting airlines are :

NACIL-Air India - 739.50; Kingfisher Airlines / Kingfisher Red - 286.62; Jet Airways / Jetlite - 32.78; Spicejet - 15.76; Paramount Airways - 12.50; Interglobe Aviation - 6.00; Go Air - 8.81. Total dues are Rs. 1,101.87 Cr.

Mumbai International Airport’s dues are as follows: NACIL-Air India - 52.90; Kingfisher Airlines / Kingfisher Red - 14.11; Jet Airways / Jet Lite - 7.51; Go Airlines - 2.29; Air Indian Charters Ltd - 0.80; Lufthansa Airlines - 0.80; Malaysia Airlines - 0.63; Emirates - 0.61;
Indigo Airlines - 0.57; Spicejet Ltd - 0.55; Singapore Airlines - 0.42; British Airways - 0.30;
Kuwait Airways - 0.27; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - 0.26; Airlines Allied Services - 0.25; Kenya Airways - 0.25; El-al Israel Airlines - 0.23; Qatar Airways - 0.21; Saudi Arabian Airlines - 0.20; Ethiopian Airlines - 0.20; Other airlines - 3.18. Total dues are Rs. 86.54 Cr.

The total dues of airlines as on date owed to Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL) is Rs. 48.75 Cr.

The total dues of airlines as on 15.12.2008 on Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is Rs. 84.50 Cr.

The total dues of airlines on Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is Rs.41 Cr.

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) have also informed that there are some dues from airlines, but it appears no details are provided.

Government has given instructions to AAI to take all possible steps including legal action, if warranted against the defaulting airlines.

Just two airlines, Air India and Kingfisher owe 93% of total AAI dues, and 80.5% of MIAL dues. I suspect the trends at other airports will be similar.

Without political directive, it is career suicide for anybody at AAI, which is a government body, to even dream about, let alone execute, pursuing recovery operations against Air India, which is a government owned entity. In any case, Air India, just does not have the money. It is waiting for Sugar-Daddy a.k.a. Government of India to bail it out.

In case of Kingfisher, I am completely stupified. Dr. Mallya runs a global empire, he is astute and I am told, an extremely driven man. Aviation and Kingfisher, the airline, is his passion. What has gone wrong ? Have the liabilities of the Air Deccan merger finally caught up ?

Rs. 1,100+ Crores is not a trivial amount. This is money of the taxpayers of India, that should be put to better use, than left as overdues.

How seriously can we treat the minister's statement about instructing AAI to use all possible means to recover their dues ? It will be a simple step for AAI. All they have to do is stop the airlines from landing at their airfields, and seize the aircraft already parked. It will probably take, all of 2 seconds, before holy hell will break loose.

All the airport operators are suffering due to the economic crisis, and the subsequent reduction in overall aviation activity, be it flights, passengers or cargo.

AAI revenue has decreased by Rs. 228 Cr., April to September 2008, as compared to the corresponding period in 2007. MIAL's aeronautical revenue is down Rs. 79.83 Cr., April, 2008 to November, 2008. DIAL is down Rs. 50 Cr., and is already begging for financial assistance for its ambitious expansion plans, needed to meet the requirement of the Commonwealth Games 2010. HIAL has seen a total revenue decline by 15%. BIAL is down, but has not provided figures. The only other major airport operator, CIAL, has not been affected significantly, due to the constant middle east traffic, the one area of global aviation that is still escaping the global meltdown.

Overdues impose unneeded operational expenses on airport operators, and that ultimately comes back to passengers in the form of decreased services, delayed facilities, and higher fees. MIAL has been given permission for a 10% across the board rate hikes at Mumbai, Delhi can be expected to follow very soon.

Mr. Praful Patel is in difficult position of being the "boss" of both the defaulting airline and the airport operator owed the money. He has to make up his mind, and fast.

An Express News Service report that the third runway at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, installed with Category III-B Instrument Landing System (ILS), was finally commissioned on Friday for low-visibility air traffic operations during dense fog days, brings much cheer to harried passengers.

“The certification was given following an inspection by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after taking into consideration elements involved in facilitating aircraft operations under 50-metre (near zero) visibility conditions (Category III-B Operations),” an official from the Delhi International Airport (DIAL), the airport operator said.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) has installed and commissioned the secondary Surface Movement Radar (SMR) at the third runway with a separate Air Traffic Control (ATC) display at the control tower, which forms part of the existing Automation Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (ASMGCS).

“This display will facilitate air traffic controllers to identify the radar data from detected targets on the runway as well as the related taxiway before entering the international or domestic apron even under near-zero visibility conditions,” an official said.

The low-visibility procedures (LVP) have also been worked out and are in place for the third runway. The Met department has installed and commissioned the required Runway Visual Range (RVR) measurement equipment, which will give instantaneous runway visibility reading at the control tower. This helps in effecting low-visibility procedures in case runway visibility falls to near-zero.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has installed and commissioned Category III-B runway and taxiway lighting system for permitting low-visibility operations. Together with the second runway, which is fit for Category III-B operations, the third runway is now ready to be utilised for low-visibility operations, and to share the air traffic load during adverse visibility conditions and avoid air traffic diversions.

“Utilisation of these two runways for Category IIIB operations will also depend on pilots who are trained and rated for carrying out low-visibility landings and takeoffs,” said an official.

The DGCA has directed all airlines to ensure that CAT III compliant aircraft and pilots are on their rolls for operating at the Delhi Airport. “This will be strictly monitored by the DGCA on a day-to-day basis,” an official said.

Currently, the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL) has the maximum number of CAT II and III trained pilots; Air India has a fleet of 95 pilots and 69 co-pilots with CAT III training, while Indian has 148 pilots and 94 co-pilots trained.

Among the private players, Jet Airways has 102 pilots and 58 co-pilots similarly trained; Kingfisher has 93 pilots and 53 co-pilots; whereas Indigo has 33 pilots and 24 co-pilots trained in CAT III operations.

The Mint reports that Delhi International Airport Pvt. Ltd (DIAL), the operator running New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has sought relaxations on taxes from the Union government and permission to levy a new airport development fee (also called User Development Fee or UDF) on passengers that will together amount to a potential benefit of around Rs. 2,000 crore.

If the request receives government approval, it will help the GMR Infrastructure Ltd., led consortium to meet a gap it is facing in its capital expenditure plans for the airport.

DIAL is readying the Delhi airport at an estimated cost of Rs. 8,890 crore ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010 with the construction of a new passenger terminal, a new runway and hotels at the airport site, complemented by a metro rail link connecting the airport with Connaught Place, a central business district in the Capital, to be developed by Delhi Metro Railways Corp. Ltd (DMRC).

According to an estimate in 2006, when the airport was privatized, the development of the Delhi airport was to cost Rs7,961 crore. This however, has increased now by around Rs1,000 crore or nearly equal to the cost of creating three new airports such as the ones commissioned at Bangalore and Hyderabad this year.

DIAL also wants the government to pitch in funds for construction of the metro link to the airport, according to a senior government official familiar with the process, who did not want to be named.

It wants to levy Rs300 as a so-called airport development fee on each outbound domestic passenger from the Capital besides Rs1,000 each on those flying international routes for a period starting January 2009 until December 2011. Such a passenger fee alone will likely result in revenues of over Rs1,400 crore for the operator.

DIAL, which had earlier agreed to pay partly for the metro link from the city as long as the payment was taken as part of the capital expenditure of the airport project, now wants the government to pay Rs350 crore to DMRC for constructing the 22.7km link. DMRC earlier this year had awarded the contract to Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s Reliance Energy Ltd that had bid for the project in collaboration with Spain’s CAF to construct the link.

Among other waivers requested by DIAL are a Rs100 crore in value added tax or VAT exemption and Rs200 crore in customs duty exemption taking the total to Rs2,050 crore.

The government official quoted earlier said the airport operator also wants changes in the land use norms at the 5,000-acre airport site but did not specify details.

A civil aviation ministry official, who too declined to be identified, said the ministry cannot allow for measures that conflict with those in the operations management and development agreement signed between DIAL and state-run Airports Authority of India, or AAI.

“We cannot allow anything that affects the bidding parameters,” this official said. “Within the agreement, we can look into what can be done.”

The impact of slowdown in air passenger traffic is showing up at airports in India as well—nearly 1,200 weekly flights have been cut from March bringing the number down to 10,922 in November, the aviation ministry said recently.

“New airports and airport modernization (has been) severely affected,” the ministry said in its presentation, a copy of which was reviewed by Mint, to the cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar earlier this month adding that there was a “30% shortfall against projected passenger traffic at Delhi and 32% in Mumbai airports.”

An analyst said the government should look for broader solutions. “There are two things to it—the airlines are seeing a downturn and are primary sufferers, while all airports are also looking at a downturn and are secondary sufferers,” said Robey Lal, former country head of industry grouping International Air Transport Association (IATA) in India and an ex-AAI board member.

In such circumstances, Lal suggested the government increase an existing passenger service fee of Rs. 225 on each ticket countrywide, which is used to fund security as also development of airports. This way, he argued, all airports in the country would benefit and not just DIAL or another private operator. About Rs. 130 from this Rs. 225 fee is used to pay for security, Rs. 25 is service tax, and the rest is used for operations and development of airports by the airport operator.

New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is gearing up for the oncoming winter season and possible disruption of flights due to fog and low visibility. In consultation with Airlines, and other bodies Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the airport operator, has drawn up a strategy to provide additional facilities to passengers during the fog season. These activities include:

City Side

• The temporary kerbside extension of Terminal 1B has been replaced with a permanent structure and provided with heating. Additional seating has also been provided, along with food and beverage kiosks. An extensive flight information display system is being provided in the extension area to regularly update the passengers. An additional seating area is also being provided for those seeing off their friends and family.
• A parallel wing now houses more space for check – in and baggage X-ray for passengers. This extension has been added to the Low Cost Carrier Wing of Terminal 1B and would benefit passengers traveling by Kingfisher Red, Spicejet, Indigo & Go Air.
• DIAL has also deployed specially trained Customer Service Staff to provide assistance & information to passengers. A park and ride parking service has also been provided to ensure additional car parking availability at IGI the airport.
• The domestic arrival terminal has also been renovated and expanded. A portion of the renovated area has already been opened along with a large canopy for friends and family. In addition separate exit routes have been provided for the benefit of passengers availing pre-paid taxis.

Passenger Terminals

• A brand new wing in the Security Hold Area of Terminal 1B has been recently commissioned. The new seating area has 150 seats which are sufficient to cater to the load of one complete flight. In addition, an extra bus gate is being commissioned to facilitate direct access from the extension area to the aircraft.
• Additional F&B outlets have opened across the passenger terminals. These outlets are operated by leading F&B brands such as Café Coffee Day, Costa Coffee, Café Ritazza, Nirula’s and Flavours.
• An increased number of payphones and coin operated booths have been added at IGI Airport to help passengers stay in touch with their friends and relatives.

Airside

• With the recent inauguration of the new runway 11-29, IGIA is equipped with two parallel runways with Category IIIB Instrument Landing System. IGIA is the only airport in the India to feature CAT IIIB ILS which allows compatible aircraft and trained pilots to land even when the runway visibility is up to 50 meters.
• 55 parking bays at the domestic aircraft apron have been provided with CAT III compatible lighting systems. Additions carried out over the last year have provided additional number taxi routings to smoothen aircraft movement and prioritize the movement of CAT III enabled aircraft.
• A special leaflet is being distributed among airside drivers with tips on safe operations during low visibility conditions.
• To co-ordinate the operations during the fog period, a centralised Emergency Response & Interactive Centre (ERIC) will be set up. The Meteorological Department of India will also be providing latest fog updates to the ERIC.

Other Initiatives

• IGIA has augmented it’s helpline which will share the updated flight information and airlines’ contacts numbers.
• A link of the FIDS (Flight Information Display System) has been provided on DIAL website for real-time flight arrival and departure information, the benefit of passengers.
• Special booklets with information on fog and do’s and don’ts for passengers and airline numbers are also being circulated.

Please feel free to post your comments and experiences as a feedback to fellow passengers on the effectiveness of these new actions.

DIAL has dedicated a "Child Play Area" at the Security Hold Area (SHA) of Terminal 1A of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

IGIA is perhaps the first Airport in India to open a Child Play Area, which is free of cost.

The Child Play Area has been professionally designed with safe climbing structures, swings, balls, and other play equipment. Children can use simple, movable gear to play a variety of games. Airport related themes are displayed in the flooring & carpets. The theme of Child Play Area will keep changing from time to time to keep the interest of children alive.

As per DIAL, the Child Play Area is being appreciated by passengers traveling with small children, and positive feedback has been received.

One of the passengers of Air India, Ms. Neharika Singh, was pleasantly surprised to see the Child Play Area open at the terminal . “The play area is providing exciting and safe play equipment for kids. I have twins. My little daughter was delighted to see the soft toys at the child care lounge and my little son was delighted to see the play equipment here”, said Ms. Singh.

Earlier, DIAL had set up child care lounges at the Check-in areas of terminals 1A and IB. Child friendly equipment, such as a cupboard full of soft toys, baby cots, highchairs and sofas have been placed at the lounges. In addition nappy changing counters have been provided with the application of joyful, coloured cartoon characters in the surroundings.

India can boast of having the second largest airport terminal in the world when the third terminal building at the Indira Gandhi International airport (IGIA) here comes up in 2010.

The terminal building alone will come up on 20 acres of land, with the entire seven-storey structure providing a total space of about 5,20,000 square metres and having a capacity of handling 34 million passengers a year.

The Terminal-3 or T3 of IGIA would be the second largest after the new terminal T3 at the Beijing Capital International airport (BCIA), constructed before the recent Olympics, which has a total floor area of 9,86,000 square metres.

Giving details of the mega project underway at the Delhi airport, CEO (Airport Development) of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) Prabhakar Rao said: "Our focus is on three Ms -- men, material and machinery. That is helping us giving shape to this major project."

In an interview to PTI, he said several factories were functioning at the project site, producing materials ranging from concrete and steel pipes to air-conditioning ducts. "Almost a thousand trucks bring in bulk materials like steel, stones and bricks every night to the site, without disturbing traffic anywhere on the near by national highway."

Deadline challenges

Maintaining that it was a "challenge" for DIAL to complete the mega project in the stipulated time of 37 months, Rao said major airports like Changi in Singapore took 76 months for completion, while Heathrow's T5 and Beijing's new terminal took 60 months. IGIA's T3, which would be able to handle the largest aircraft Airbus A-380, is expected to be completed by March 2010, ahead of the Commonwealth Games. About 24,000 workers belonging to 44 contractors are working day and night to build the integrated terminal which will cater to 34 million domestic and international passengers every year. Also, on the 24x7 job are about 100 foreign experts, who are racing against time to meet the deadline.

Maintaining that Delhi fell in the high damage risk or Zone IV of quake-prone area, the DIAL airport CEO said "Keeping in mind the occurrence of earthquakes here, we are constructing the building to meet the requirements of a higher risk level, that of Zone V or very high damage risk." He said the new steel and glass terminal would be an environment-friendly "green building", which would have complete natural lighting, an intelligent air conditioning system and efficient waste-water treatment facility.

The building needs a massive 2,50,000 square metres of air-conditioning ducts, which when kept in a straight line would cover a distance of 500 kilometres, Rao said.

As various aspects of the construction process were going on parallel in order to save on time, "we have asked the selected bidder, ETA of Dubai, to set up a plant in the country." And "now India's largest air-conditioning duct manufacturing plant is functional at the site," Rao said, adding that the chillers were being imported from the US.

78 aerobridges, 168 check in counters

The four piers of the terminal building would have 78 aerobridges, six exclusively for big planes such as Airbus A-380, for boarding and disembarking. Each pier would be about 1.2 kilometres long but the passengers would not need to walk as they can reach their boarding gate by any of the 98 travelators, Rao said.

Also for the convenience of the passengers, there would be 168 check-in counters, 49 immigration counters, 48 emigration counters and a 61-room hotel, apart from various lounges.

The terminal would also have an intelligent car parking facility for 15,000 cars -- 6,000 at Multi-level car parking (MLCP) and 9,000 at surface level.

The MLCP would be a fully automated one, from generation of parking slip to allotment of slot, no person would be required but still people could park their vehicle without a hassle, the DIAL CEO said.

Ambitious growth plans


Video from wdp4 on YouTube.

The promoters DIAL have chalked out very ambitious growth plans for the airport, calling for new terminals T4, T5, and T6 over the next 20 years. As per the IGIA website the time-table for the airport is :

New Terminal Building (T3)

T3 Project (New Runway and Associated Taxiways Completion by 15th August, 2008)

1.Construction of new code F(A380 Compatible) Runway (11R/29L) of length 4430 mt with CAT IIIB Airfield lighting
2.A Parallel taxiway two cross field taxiways
3. 10 No. Additional remote stands for T2

Phase 1B
T3 Project (New Integrated Passenger Terminal Building and associated works Completion by 31-Mar-2010)

1.Construction of New Terminal building of capacity 27 MPPA, area of 4.4 Million Sq.Ft ,55 Contact stands,16 remote stands, piers, fixed links and aerobridges.
2.Aircraft parking stands for contact and remote stands.
3.Cargo expansion
4.Additional maintenance hangars
5.New GSE areas
6.Fuel farm expansion
7.Expansion of the existing Sewerage treatment plan
8.Providing a Multi level & surface car park
9.Metro Connectivity
10.New landside roads & up gradation of existing road system
11.Expansion of the existing Catering facilities
12.Provision for GA facilities

Phase 2 (2012)
1.Additional remote stands near T3
2.Cargo expansion
3.New flight forwarders area near cargo
4.Additional parking stands for cargo
5.New central transportation corridor
6.Catering facility expansion
7.Additional MRO

Phase 3 (2016)
1.New terminal T4
2.Expansion of T3 including piers
3.Contact stands for T4
4.New runway (11L/29R)
5.Parking facilities in front of T4
6.New ATC tower and complex
7.Cargo expansion
8.Fuel farm expansion
9.GSE area expansion
10.MRO expansion
11.Catering facilities expansion

Phase 4 (2021)
1.New Terminal T5 (Low cost)
2.Expansion of T3 and T4 piers and concourses
3.Remote stands for T5
4.New straightened runway 09/27
5.Cargo facilities at north (relocated)
6.Additional GA facilities·
7.Additional MRO·
8.New fire station·
9.Catering facility expansion·
10.Landside developments in front of T4 & T5 including parking
11.New metro station
12.Fuel farm expansion
13.GSE expansion

Saturation phase (2026)
1.New Terminal T6·
2.New pier for T5 & contact stands
3.Additional MRO
4.Catering facilities expansion
5.GSE expansion
6.Cargo expansion

The Press Trust of India reports, the third runway of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which was recently inaugurated, has been opened for round-the-clock operation from yesterday. The runway, which was inaugurated on August 21 this year by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, was opened for commercial operations from September 25, 2008 but could not be used round-the-clock due to technical problems with the runway lighting system.

“The operational hours of the new runway were increased in a phased manner in accordance to best global aviation practices. Following the encouraging feedback from all stakeholders such as airlines and Air Traffic Control (ATC) on successful operations since its opening, the runway will now be available for operations round-the-clock,” a Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said.

The third runway, christened 29/11, has CAT IIIB instrument landing system (ILS) on both Dwarka and Vasant Kunj sides which will allow aircraft to land even when the visibility is as low as 50 metres. The runway, built to Code F standards, can handle the wide bodied aircraft like Airbus A-380 and Antonov AN-225. DIAL, a joint venture consortium operating and developing the IGIA, had build Rs 1,000 crore the runway in a record time of 18 months -- six months ahead of schedule on February 2009. “This will enhance IGIA's capacity to handle more aircraft movements,” added the DIAL spokesperson.

The maintenance of the main runways (11-29 and 10-28) will be carried out on alternate days on the weekdays whereas secondary runway (09-27) maintenance will be carried out on Sundays between 1 pm to 4 pm.

Anirban Chowdhury of The Business Standard reports that just four days after it was opened, the third runway at the Delhi airport was closed today after some crucial equipment stopped functioning. Operations were already restricted to daytime use after the runway lights failed over the weekend, rendering the runway unusable at night.

According to Air Traffic Controller sources at the Delhi airport, the decision to close the runway was taken after the instrument landing system (ILS), which guides aircraft to land when visibility is poor, stopped functioning in the morning.

As a result, the runway could not be used before 10:30 am and had to be shut down after 1:00 pm. (The ILS was not required during the period in-between). That left the runway with just 2.5 non-peal hours of operations with hardly any landings.

Several pilots told Business Standard that this could become a serious problem in the winter, which will descend on Delhi in a couple of months. "The faulty ILS could be a huge menace in the winters and will severely affect flights during low-visibility conditions because of the fog," said a Jet Airways pilot.

Delhi accounts for almost a third of the total air traffic in the country. The airport was handed over to GMR-controlled Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) in May 2006 for expansion and a facelift. The new runway was built to make its airport handle up to 60 flights in an hour, up from the existing 35-40, to reduce air congestion plaguing Delhi and Mumbai airports, help carriers save expensive jet fuel, and reduce waiting times for passengers.

The current problems could ground all these plans. A DIAL executive confirmed that the runway was practically closed today and only the primary and the secondary runways were used for flight operations.

However, a DIAL spokesperson defended the decision to close the runway: "As a part of the phased opening of the third runway, DIAL, the Air Traffic Controller and the Director General of Civil Aviation have agreed to ensure that any observation from users can be dealt with for further improvement and any minor work can be carried out as a new runway is also subject to daily inspections and maintenance."

The runway’s ILS, he added, was configured for low-visibility conditions, which was not required under present conditions. As it consumes a lot of energy, work was going on to reconfigure it to current visibility.

Airline pilots, on their part, said that more than 40 per cent of the new runway, which is currently only used for landing, is unusable because of an adjacent tall statue that comes in its path. For landing purposes, the runway thus becomes even shorter in length than the primary runway.

"The aircraft gets a shorter length only when it comes from the side of the statue. However, even that length is good enough for larger aircraft like the A380,” said the DIAL spokesperson.

Indira Gandhi Airport third runway commences operations soon
18-Aug-2008

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi is undergoing a transformation. Delhi International Airport (P) Limited (DIAL) is carrying out an extensive modernisation programme at IGIA.

A key step in this process is the commissioning of the airport's third runway. This runway, currently in the final stages of development, will enable IGIA to significantly increase its capacity to handle aircraft movements.

Christened 11-29, the 75m wide runway (including shoulders) will be among the longest in Asia at 4430m. The runway has been constructed with a full length parallel taxiway, and a cross taxiway to connect it to the existing airport. The taxiway network to support the new runway is 15 km long. The runway works have been completed much ahead of the scheduled date of Feb-09.

The runway has been built to Code F standards - that means it is long, wide and strong enough to accommodate super sized aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or the Antonov An-225. In addition, the runway will also be equipped with CAT IIIB Instrument Landing System at both ends. This will allow aircraft to land even when the visibility is as low as 50m. This will complement the existing CAT IIIB equipment on runway 10-28 making Delhi Airport, one of the few airports in Asia and the only one in India to have twin runways with this advanced Instrument Landing System.

The runway lighting systems are one of the most advanced in the world. The system is being fitted with single lamp control and monitoring system introduced which enables monitoring of individual lamps at the stop bars.

The construction of the runway is a feat in modern engineering, involving an astounding 2.3 million m³ of earthwork and embankment filling. That is enough to form a 210 km long freight train!! The runway is more than 2 metres thick, comprising 7 layers of Filling, Concrete Treated Base and Asphalt concrete. Over 650,000 tonnes of asphalt concrete has been used during the construction of the runway and taxiways; material which can help build a 75 km long six lane expressway!!

Extensive usage of computer simulations was done while designing the rapid exit taxiways & link taxiways. Also, eco-friendly methods were used during the construction involving extensive use of fly-ash in concrete and other cement based material.

(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.