Aviation Minister holds review meeting as Delhi's IGI airport sees flight disruptions, delays
In the aftermath of a chaotic week, which saw significant flight delays and disruptions at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the impact of the ongoing upgradation work on one of its runways. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the busiest airport in the country, has attributed the disruptions and delays to adverse wind conditions.
Monday's meeting was attended by key officials, including Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, Airports Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar, Directorate General of Civil Aviation Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, representatives from DIAL, airlines, and CISF.
Naidu told the stakeholders, 'We must ensure that passengers are not inconvenienced. All efforts should be taken to maintain efficiency during this phase.' He emphasised the need for planning that takes into account infrastructure work and weather-related contingencies and instructed stakeholders to take pre-emptive measures based on forecasts and optimise the use of resources.
The discussion concluded with a clear emphasis on meeting the runway upgradation timelines while minimising disruptions to airlines and inconvenience to passengers, read a government statement.
The Indian Express had previously reported that a combination of factors — upgrade of Runway 10/28, Terminal 2 closure for improvement, operations shifting to Terminal 1, and unexpected weather conditions — have contributed to the ongoing disruptions at the airport, leading to passenger inconvenience.
In a post on X early Monday, DIAL had stated, '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. We are currently working with ATC (Air Traffic Control) and other stakeholders to reduce the inconvenience you and your fellow passengers are experiencing.'
It added, 'The closure of Runway 10/28 since April 8 for essential Instrument Landing System upgradation was planned well in advance in consultation with stakeholders and based on… wind patterns over four months ago. Whenever the wind pattern shift happens to easterly winds and the limitation of the operational use of converging runways at Delhi Airport, there will be temporary capacity constraints for arrivals during this period.'
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