20-day airport closure to hit over one lakh passengers

MOHALI: As many as 1.03 lakh passengers will have to alter their air travel plans from the city as the Chandigarh international airport will remain closed for civil and military operations from May 12 to May 31 for the second time this year on account of runway repair.

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 5

As many as 1.03 lakh passengers will have to alter their air travel plans from the city as the Chandigarh international airport will remain closed for civil and military operations from May 12 to May 31 for the second time this year on account of runway repair.

Flight operations at the airport were earlier suspended for a fortnight from February 12 to 26.

Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL) CEO Sunil Dutt said, “The total passenger traffic at the airport is approximately 1.6 lakh a month. The 20-day closure is likely to affect more than 1 lakh passengers in the short run. However, it will facilitate long-haul flights from Chandigarh to destinations in Europe, the USA, Canada and the UK in the long run.”

Dutt said there was no intimation as of now of any new flights from June.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had last week released details of the ongoing runway extension and strengthening work, stating that the work was being done in three phases. Phase I, which is currently on, involves improvement of 7,200 ft of bitumen surface, including laying of eight separate layers of dense asphaltic concrete (DAC). Phase II involves extension of the runway from the existing 9,000 ft to 12,400 ft and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Phase III involves installation of runway lights and other navigational aids.

The completion of Phase III will permit unrestricted day and night operation at the airport by mid-2019.

An airport official said during the 20-day closure, the top layers of the bitumen runway surface would be laid.

Change in watch hours

Deepesh Joshi, CHIAL PRO, said there would be a slight change in the watch hours when the flights resume.

From June 1, the watch hours at the airport, currently operational from 7.20 am to 5.30 pm, would change to 6.30 am to 5.30 pm. However, the airport would remain closed on Sunday.

The airport currently operates 28 flights, including three international flights to Dubai, Sharjah and Bangkok. A majority of the flights operate between Delhi and Chandigarh.

In the absence of flights from Chandigarh, passengers are expected to either fly from Delhi or Amritsar, the nearest airports in the region, or switch to buses, trains and private cabs.

Taxi operators are expected to cash in on the surge in the demand.

Inderjit Singh, president, Mohali Taxi Services Union, said with the suspension of the flights, the private taxi services between Delhi and Chandigarh would see a surge in the business.

“The taxi business is expected to see a 15-20 per cent surge. Cabs offer a more convenient travel experience, especially for people who have a connecting flight to catch from Delhi,” he said.