Mumbai Airport’s Main Runaway Will Be Shut Down For 6 Days A Week! Will Flights Get Cancelled?

Well here’s a piece of essential news for you, especially if you are travelling to, from or via Mumbai airport in near future. Starting next week, get ready to face disruptions at the the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), as the main runway will remain closed for six days a week.

With the partial closure, there will be a likely change in the routes of many aircraft. The timings of several international and domestic flights will be changed during this period.

Mumbai Airport: All the Details You Need to Know

Mumbai airport’s main runway will be non-operational from November 4 to March 28, complying to repair and maintenance work. The closure will be from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, six days a week, from Monday to Saturday.

During this period however, the second runway will be fully operational but it would be understandable to primarily expect change in the routes of many aircrafts and that of timings of several international and domestic flights as well.

The primary runway at Mumbai airport can handle up to 50 arrivals and departure per hour, while the second runway can handle at least 36 flights an hour. Don’t worry though, the main runway of Mumbai airport will be operational at all hours during festival and holidays.

What Do Officials Have to Say?

According to a press release, the main runway will be fully functional on December 25, January 1, February 19 and 21, March 10 and 25. 

Mumbai airport, as we know is the second busiest airport in the country. With all of this commotion going around, officials will surely have something or the other arranged to bring minimum disturbances and function as smoothly as possible.

Mumbai airport handled 48.5 million domestic and international passengers in 2018 and sees more than 900 arrivals and departures every day. Due to monsoons, the runway maintenance work has been postponed, otherwise it was originally to start the repair work of the runway from November 1.

This is not the first time that the main runway in Mumbai airport is shut for repair work. Earlier this year, both the runways were closed from February 7 to March 30 due to maintenance work. 

Last time, more than 200 flights were cancelled in a single day due to closure of the main runway at Mumbai airport. Airfares had also increased by about 5-10% for flights originating and landing at Mumbai airport.