Bhubaneswar: In view of major infrastructure overhaul at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here, flights are all set to be rescheduled from November 1, 2019. The work is reported to continue for about eight months.
The flights would be rescheduled due to runway re-carpeting that is said to be carried out in two phases. As per the prescribed practice, all airports should re-carpet the runways once in every 10 years. The BPIA had last done it in 2007.
“In the first phase, from November 1 to March 31, the flights that will need rescheduling will be those that are in time slot 10pm to 5:30am. Meanwhile, in the second phase that will take effect from April 1 to June 30 there will be closure during 10 am to 6pm,” BPIA director Suresh Chandra Hota said.
Hota also mentioned that the second re-carpeting work is fixed for the 2,742 metres wide runway and will cost Rs 28 crore. “The work will include re-tarring, maintenance and overhauling of the entire stretch of the runway, and further enhancement of parallel taxi track. The daily re-tarred portion has to be prepared for flight operations by the time the runway is handed back for normal operations,” he added.
The BPIA has already asked the airlines to reschedule their timetable for the period so as to provide passengers, who book in advance, with the updated schedule. The airport authorities have also requested Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the apex body for civil aviation for permission of the overhauling work.
“The November to March period has only four to six flights operating during the period. So, we expect it would not be much of a problem. A winter scheduling flight chart is prepared October 28 and thus we will request all other airlines to keep their scheduling before 10pm,” Hota said.
According to the BPIA’s reports, over the last four years, the international and domestic flights have increased by 30 per cent and 33 per cent respectively. The report also projected an overall flight movement of 32,369 – a 39.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase.