Mumbai: Flights to and from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will be suspended on April 9 and 10, for six hours each day — between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. — for removal of rubber deposits on the runway, a routine pre-monsoon maintenance exercise.
A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen, to alert them of potential hazards) from Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said that work will be carried out on the intersection of CSMIA’s cross runways on April 9 and 10. “All affected airlines are advised to cancel or reschedule their flights during the closure period,” a note sent by the airport to airlines said. MIAL officials said that passengers booked on these days can expect messages from their airlines regarding cancellations or reschedulings. They added that maintenance of the Instrument Landing System would also be conducted on these days.
At least a hundred flights will be affected.
Jet Airways, for which Mumbai airport is a hub, said in a statement that it has cancelled six international flights (to Riyadh, Dubai and Kuwait) and rescheduled 17 (Bangkok, London, Colombo, Dhaka, Dubai and Abu Dhabi), and cancelled 68 domestic flights and rescheduled 46. Other airlines contacted by The Hindu said they had communicated directly with affected passengers. Reji Philip of Fort-based travel agency Cosmos confirmed that passengers are being directly intimated by the airlines: “We have received revised schedules for all airlines operating out of Mumbai airport on April 9 and 10.”
Aircraft leave rubber deposits from their tyres when they land. Over time, says aviation expert Capt Mohan Ranganathan, the build-up affects the level of friction of the runway, most noticeably as a reduction in braking and ground-handling performance. “This can lead to incidents such as runway overrun or a lateral slide off the runway.” All airports incorporate rubber removal into their maintenance schedules, with the frequency based on the number of take-offs and landings on each runway. The process uses water at high pressure, abrasives, chemicals, and other mechanical means.
A similar exercise will also be carried after the monsoon, on October 23, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and the airport will be closed during this period.
