Runway overhaul postponed

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 1

Delay in completing formalities and arrival of the foggy season has forced the Airport Authority of India (AAI) authorities at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport to put off the proposed consolidation wok of its runway at a whopping cost of Rs 103 crore for the next year.

Airport Director Venkateshwar Rao said the proposed overhauling has been postponed to the next year. It was decided that after finding the foggy condition around the airport terminal.

Officials associated with the project said the tendering process was already over and the decision was awaited from the working advisory board of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at Delhi.

The proposed overhauling required closure of all kind of flying operations from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am at the airport terminal.

The AAI has earmarked a budget of Rs 103 crore for consolidating the 12,000-feet-long runway at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport. The existing runway, which can cater to the largest aircraft available with the airlines operating in India, has started showing signs of aging, besides developing cracks at a few places over the years. The last re-carpeting of the runway was carried out in 2001-03.

The overhauling plan includes strengthening of flexible portion of the runway. The AAI has also planned to have a provision of glass grid to check reflection cracks. Besides, rectification, repairing of the existing surface joints along with overlaying of existing runway shoulders and resurfacing of blast pads will also be done.

Grading of the basic strip of the runway will be done as per the DGCA requirements. Besides, to provide a better view of the runway to pilots, runway markings will be repainted.

The available pavement of taxiways will also be strengthened so as to match the strength of the main runway. In a similar fashion, the electrical installations at runway will also be a part of this spruce up spree to be carried out by the AAI.