AHMEDABAD: The runway resurfacing operation of the 3.5km stretch at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) has finally concluded, putting an end to early morning hassles faced by fliers besides expensive airfares.
The airport operator on Thursday announced the runway will be fully operational over 24 hours for flight movements effective Friday.
Recarpeting work of the runway at SVPIA began on January 17 and was completed over a record 75-day period (excluding public holidays and Sundays).
During this period, the runway remained closed for flight movements from 9am to 6pm. On an average, around 160 flights operated during this period daily, said the airport operator. The duration of recarpeting work is an all-time best among brownfield runways in India, according to the operator.
With the runway resuming operations completely from Friday, the flight frequency is expected to increase and the timings of certain flights too may be changed.
During the pre-Covid period, the city airport handled an average of 250 flight movements every day, according to well-placed sources.
“Since Covid-19, the flight frequency never reached that level due to restrictions. However, now that international flights are allowed to resume, the frequency will increase. At least 10 new flights are expected to begin over the next week or so. These include a new daily flight to Varanasi in addition to more Emirates flights to Dubai,” said a source.
Earlier, the runway resurfacing project was scheduled to go on till May 31.
In addition to other upgrading works completed at SVPIA, the airport now has a complete airfield lighting system on the runway and connecting taxiways; it is equivalent to lighting an entire district comprising 12 to 14 villages.
Not only travellers but even tour operators and players in the hospitality sector are relieved as flights will be available round the clock.
“This will not only improve connectivity to various destinations but also let the passengers breathe easy owing to several flights available throughout the day. Moreover, the passenger rush will also decline during the peak hours and airfares will dip,” said Manish Sharma, chairman, Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI), Gujarat.
