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Officials face difficulties in completing second runway
Posted on: 05/Jan/2016 11:39:17 AM
The second runway of the Chennai Airport is not fully functional despite spending up to Rs. 2,200 crore on a modernization drive. Work on installing lights and an instrument landing system (ILS) has not been completed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
According to a senior airport official, `We do not have adequate terminals and a second runway . The airport suffers from a limitation which airports like Bengaluru do not face.It is not that airlines do not want to fly from Chennai but we do not have the space to allow all requests for starting services. There has been a delay in decision making in Delhi. As the ministry dragged its feet for three years and the delay in deciding on privatization cost the facility a lot. We lost a lot of time to develop the airport. The next phase expansion plans has begun - to remodel the old terminals and enhance the runway capacity. But it is estimated that the work will take three years. we are not able to open the new international terminal because of shortage of manpower in the customs and immigration wings. It is difficult for the airport to handle passengers from jumbo planes because of lack of adequate counters and personnel. If four of these aircraft arrive in quick succession, the terminal will be crowded by passengers waiting for immigration clearance and baggage. So, there is no scope for more flights.`
Airlines do not want to use the clearance to use the second runway as there is no ILS. Says a senior pilot, `Airlines prefer the main runway though the AAI has informed that the second runway has been approved for visual landing. Pilots have to land on the runway by calculating the approach and glide paths without the help of equipment like ILS.`
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