Delhi’s IGIA faces operational challenges after the closure of Runway 10/28 for an ILS upgrade, leading to delays during peak travel season.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Apr 21, 2025
The closure has been worsened by unseasonal easterly winds, which limited runway capacity and caused significant delays in arrivals.
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In response to mounting delays, authorities plan to reopen Runway 10/28 within a fortnight, allowing non-precision landings to ease congestion.
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The sudden arrival of easterly winds forced airlines to reschedule flights, with up to 100 daily arrivals exceeding the 32 arrivals per hour capacity.
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A powerful thunderstorm on April 11 with winds of 74 kmph caused disruptions, affecting over 400 flights.
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Without Runway 10/28, IGIA can only handle up to 32 arrivals per hour during easterly winds, making arrivals more challenging.
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The closure of Terminal 2 for renovations has further strained capacity, with flights rerouted to Terminals 1 and 3, causing longer queues and crowding.
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To accommodate the summer rush, authorities are reopening Runway 10/28 for non-precision landings, with full ILS upgrades to resume by mid-June.
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Airlines protested potential financial losses from rescheduling and canceling flights, amounting to an estimated Rs 1,000 crore in losses.
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Despite efforts to ease congestion, Delhi Airport continues to grapple with capacity issues due to weather patterns, runway closures, and infrastructure upgrades.