Just one runway!

Just one runway!
Author: Chetan.R Date: 07 Jun 2008

Single runway at Bengaluru International Airport is cause for worry; increase in air traffic movement will result in chaos on the ground, fear experts


TOUGH LANDING: The BIA will need to add another runway to cope with over 400 flights every day File pic

Just when things seem to be falling into place at the new international airport, a new concern has cropped up.

The Bengaluru International Airport is sure going to face problems as it has only one runway, say experts.

A tremendous increase in air traffic movement (ATM) has been projected, leading to chaos on the ground.

No space

The single runway is likely to be saturated by next year. With this, BIA’s claim of handling 15.6 MPPA (million passengers a year) by 2009-2010 has become debatable.

“Airports in Delhi and Mumbai have two runways, but still face traffic congestion. The same problem will occur in BIA which has only one,” said J Krasta, vice-president, FKCCI. “Currently, the air traffic movement in BIA is about three hundred a day,” said a BIA source. It is expected to be 440 flights a day in August.

The BIA has projected its efficiency to be 15.6 million passengers by next year. This will result in saturation, as IATA norms don’t allow more than 550 ATMs a day.