Partial shutdown of Bhubaneswar airport may not affect flight operation

Bhubaneswar: The partial shutdown of Bhubaneswar airport during the first phase of maintenance of runway may not affect flight services much, informed Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) director Suresh Chandra Hota on Wednesday.

He said the first phase runway maintenance works would start between November 2019 and June 2020.

Runway re-carpeting at airports is done once every 10 years, depending on the use of the runway.

An estimation of Rs 28 crore has been prepared for re-carpeting and it has been sent to the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval.

“We have come to the conclusion that the time is ripe to re-carpet the runway soon. The last time this was done in 2007 at Bhubaneswar airport,” he added.

Hota informed that it has been 12 years since re-carpeting was done last at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.

“We are planning for runway re-carpeting with effect from 1st November to 31st March 2020 from 10 pm to 5.30 am. We have requested Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for permission. Once we get the approval, the work will start,” said the Bhubaneswar airport director.

As part of the re-carpeting, the flight operation during daytime at the airport will be suspended from 1st April to 30th June 2020 from 10.30 am to 6 pm.

The Biju Patnaik International Airport will remain partially shut for eight months for runway maintenance works and flight services are likely to be rescheduled.

He said the airlines have been intimated about the partial shutdown of Bhubaneswar airport and re-carpeting of the runway by Airport Authority of India (AAI).