The ongoing runway resurfacing work at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport has been causing inconvenience to passengers in recent days. Flight operations have been suspended between 10 am and 6 pm every day since April 1, resulting in numerous flight cancellations and reschedulings.
Airlines have had to adjust their schedules or cancel flights on certain routes, leading to significant inconvenience for passengers. Additionally, the reduced number of flights during peak hours has resulted in increased demand surpassing supply, resulting in higher prices. As a result, many passengers are struggling to find alternative travel options or are facing inflated fares.
While passengers and travel agents argue that the work has not significantly affected operations, airport authorities offer a different perspective.
Airport Director Abid Ruhi siad that the airlines were informed three months in advance about the resurfacing work and the closure window. He also said that the airlines have simply adjusted flight timings to accommodate the disruption. However, travel agents counter this claim, confirming flight cancellations alongside the rescheduling.
Varun Sarda, CEO of wtfares, said that no flights are landing and taking off between 10 am and 6 pm. “It is coinciding with
the peak travel season which has become a cause of inconvenience for many travellers.
They are left with no option but to travel in odd times. On some of the routes, passengers have to board flights during midnight hours. “It is very frustrating for the passengers travelling with senior citizens and kids. On the other hand, passengers are paying more than double for flights operating at convenient times. For example, the airfares of morning and
evening flights on Mumbai and New Delhi routes have witnessed more than double hike as compared to airfares in the
month of March,” he said.
This comes at a particularly bad time, as the summer season typically sees a surge in air travel.
It is also important to note that the actual work is yet to start but the authorities have closed the runway from 10 am to 6 pm for about six months.