GVK-led Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), managing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), has announced the completion of major re-carpeting work on its primary runway 09/27 before the scheduled date of March 28, 2020.
MIAL stated, “With the outbreak of the novel COVID-19, the re-carpeting work was still undertaken with minimal personnel amidst maintaining social distancing between them and undertaking necessary precautionary measures to safeguard the safety of the employees.”
MIAL further said that the major resurfacing work of 3,448 meters (11,309 feet) of the primary runway leads to up-gradation of all stressed and cracked portions of the runway surface as well as sections on the associated taxiways.
GVK MIAL adopted the conventional method ‘Hot Mix Overlaying’ for the rehabilitation of the runway, which included removing all the AGL (Aeronautical Ground Lighting system), milling the top weathered surface and overlaying it with Hot Polymer Modified bituminous materials in two layers and re-instate the AGL system back.
MIAL said, “The runway has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology that enables the runway to take a load of regular air traffic with adequate safety in place. As part of the up-gradation plan at CSMIA, runway guard lights have been installed at the North of runway 14/32 intersection as a mitigation measure to caution pilots or vehicle drivers against entry into an active runway.
“Furthermore, GVK MIAL has also commissioned the stop bars on its runways; a tool that uses light signals to caution pilots and other airside vehicle operators against entering the runway unless specifically cleared by ATC, stop bars are an added measure to prevent the risk of runway incursions.”
GVK MIAL operates one of the busiest single cross-over runways in the world with an average of 980 flights per day.