Delhi Airport Halts Runway Upgrade Meant For Foggy Season Due To Flight Delays, Operations To Resume In May

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has temporarily halted Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgrade work on Runway 10/28, in the wake of widespread flight delays attributed to diminished capacity and easterly winds that prevail, PTI reported.

In a series of X posts, DIAL said it has made the decision to temporarily halt the essential ILS (Instrument Landing System) upgrade work necessary for the winter season, in consultation with stakeholders.

It further confirmed that “Runway 10/28 will be brought back into operation in the first week of May, with the remaining upgrade activities deferred for a month or so.”

The move comes as India's busiest airport, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), deals with restricted arrival capacity following the runway shutdown.

Runway 10/28, which was not entirely CAT III-compliant, had been closed earlier this week to allow for critical maintenance. The CAT III system is important to allow flight operations in low visibility, particularly in Delhi's foggy winters.

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar earlier told PTI that the maintenance works of the runway RW 10/28 will be completed by September, well before the fog season.

To reduce disruption, Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures were implemented in recent days. These are precautionary steps aimed at limiting in-air delays and ensuring flow efficiency.

A senior Air Traffic Controller pointed out that the shutdown of RW 10/28 has reduced the airport's arrival rate to “around 31-32 aircraft, both scheduled and non-scheduled, per hour,” down from the earlier 45 aircraft when the runway was open.

Though DIAL plans to resume work on upgrading later in the year, the immediate restoration of RW 10/28 is likely to reduce delay and operational stress considerably.

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