KOCHI: The four-month-long runway resurfacing work at Kochi Airport is all set to start on Wednesday. No flight will operate in the day time, from 10 AM to 6 PM till March 28, 2020. Since almost all services were already re-scheduled between the available operational time of 6 pm to 10 am, the project period will suffer cancellation of only five services during the major runway re-surfacing period.
The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has started the preparatory work for the runway-resurfacing project well in advance and thereby ensured the minimal cancellation of services with the co-operation of the airlines. The winter schedule which came into effect from last week of October has already adjusted the services to the available operational time, which sees the cancellation of only one service in the international sector - Maldives service operated by Spice Jet - and four services in the domestic sector. The domestic sector is going to have only four cancellations.
CIAL, the seventh busiest airport in the country handles 240 aircraft movements and 30,000 passengers a day, expects a rush in the early morning and early evening hours as the operational time is going to be stipulated from 24 hrs to 16 hrs. In view of it, CIAL has decided to increase the check-in time to 3 hrs for the domestic passengers and 4 hrs for international passengers. Arrangements were already made to ensure hassle-free passenger movement with the help of Customs, Immigration, ground-handling agencies. The CISF, which manages airport security has deployed 100 additional security men raising their total strength to 950 at Kochi airport. The agency also decided to deploy another 400 security personals in the weeks to come.
The airport which started functioning in 1999 underwent first runway re-surfacing work in 2009. The re-surfing is done to ensure the desired level of friction to facilitate precision landing for the aircraft. An area of five lakh square meter comprising of the 3400 M long runway, with a width of 60 M, and the taxiway, taxiway links will be overhauled during the period. In parallel to this, CIAL is realigning the lighting system from the existing CAT-1 to CAT-3 which will see the fixing of central line lights in every 15 meter, the introduction of new lights at touch down zones, parking bays, etc.
CIAL is spending around Rs 150 crore for the total project and expects to complete it as per schedule.