Civil flight operations at key IAF-run airports to be restricted for repair works, upgrades

CIvil flight of stairs trading operations at foursome native american beam Force (IAF)-controlled airports — Jodhpur, Srinagar, Pune and Adampur — are set to face temporary shutdowns or operational restrictions this year as authorities undertake planned runway maintenance and infrastructure upgrades, officials said.All four airports are joint-user facilities where civil flights operate from air force bases. Runway surfaces at such bases must meet the operational requirements of fighter jets and other military aircraft, making periodic maintenance essential.“Authorities have already issued Notams (Notice to Air Missions) for some of the closures, while airlines were informed months in advance through the government’s slot coordination process,” an official said.Among the four airports, the most immediate flight disruption is expected at Jodhpur, where runway re-carpeting work will be carried out in phases from the month-end. “The first phase of work was initially planned to begin from March 1 but is yet to commence. However, it will be ensured that its third phase will wrap up by May,” another official said.ALSO READ | Operation Sindoor: Adampur Airbase was in thick of actionAs of March 1, Jodhpur sees 28 daily flight operations with around 4,000 to 4,300 passenger movements a day.Under the plan, the runway work in Jodhpur will be carried out in three phases to minimise disruption. In the first phase, roughly one-third of the runway will be closed, allowing aircraft such as the Airbus A320 to continue operating, though larger aircraft like the Airbus A321 may not be able to use the shortened runway. The second phase will require a complete shutdown of the runway when work moves to the central section.Jodhpur airport is proposed to remain fully closed for civil operations for about 30 days between March 29 and April 29. “Once this portion is completed, work will move to the final section of the runway, allowing partial operations again,” the official said.Airlines have been asked to adjust schedules accordingly, allowing options of travelling to the nearest airports or providing a full refund in case of flight cancellations. One airline official told HT that schedules had already been adjusted. “Passengers booked to Jodhpur were given the option to either fly to the nearest airport or change their travel date. They were even provided a full refund wherever needed,” this person said, asking not to be identified.ALSO READ | Improvements in cargo infra, ‘Bharat Taxi’ on cards for Pune Airport: AAI ChairmanThe closures will still be disruptive. “Such long airport closures especially impact passengers during the summer travel season when domestic travel in India peaks due to school vacations,” another airline official said on condition of anonymity. “ “For airlines, it means tweaking their summer travel schedules, incurring some revenue loss and adjusting aircraft schedules, which may also impact other destinations.”Srinagar airport is also expected to undergo runway maintenance this year, leading to staggered restrictions on civil flight operations. The airport has been through similar cycles before — as recently as early 2022, runway work was spread across weekends over February and March, followed months later by a disruption to evening flights while the IAF installed a new instrument landing system.“Srinagar airport will remain closed for flights on weekends for around 11 weeks starting August 1 until October 15. This will be followed by a 21-day complete airport closure from October 16 to November 5,” a third official said.During this period, airlines may be given the option to temporarily operate from the nearby Awantipur airbase, located around 25 km from Srinagar, people aware of the matter said. Awantipur is a co-located airfield that has handled civil operations in the past when required.ALSO READ | IAF shows its prowess during Vayushakti-26At Pune airport, authorities are also planning runway upgrades that could lead to a closure of around eight days, though the timeline has not yet been finalised. The maintenance work was earlier expected to take place in April but the schedule is currently under review. Pune last underwent a complete runway shutdown in October 2021 — a 14-day closure for resurfacing work, which was at the time described as the second such closure in 13 years. “The authorities and stakeholders concerned will be informed about the closure well in advance,” the official added.While Adampur airport in Punjab is scheduled to undergo infrastructure upgrades, it is unlikely to see immediate disruption. Runway maintenance is planned only after November, when the airport could face restrictions for several months. “The airport is expected to be shut for eight months. This will, however, take place in either of the last two months,” the official said.“A slot committee meeting is typically held about six months before the maintenance period, involving representatives from the ministry of civil aviation, the IAF, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and airlines operating at the airport. During these meetings, airlines are informed of the proposed closure periods and advised not to schedule new flights or open bookings during those dates,” a former bureaucrat said. “Once the maintenance schedule is finalised, Notams are issued to formally notify airlines and pilots of the operational restrictions.”