Team Herald
VASCO: The Dabolim airport will remain shut for six hours every Saturday from November 2 till April 30, 2020 for the maintenance of its runway, which is in a deteriorating condition following heavy rains, the Navy said in a press statement issued on Wednesday.
The Navy said a meeting was held with Airport Authority of India (AAI), airline operators including chartered flight operators on August 1, to discuss the winter flight schedule on weekends to facilitate periodic maintenance of the airport’s runway.
After extensive discussions, the stakeholders agreed upon the requirement of runway maintenance slot of six hours from 6.30 am to 12.30 pm every Saturday, it said.
“Several major airports across the country have the runway maintenance slot for six to seven hours. The requirement of a minimum six hours slot is necessary in Goa to prevent deterioration of runway surface. Indian Navy is mandated by regulations to ensure satisfactory condition of runway surface. The proposed maintenance slot affects the lone flight of charter operator from United Kingdom. The operator was offered additional slots to cater for its requirements, which was accepted by the local manager and all other airline operators too,” the Navy added.
“Indian Navy has always been accommodating civil/charter flights during military slots in case of delays and other contingencies. Also, all maintenance activities till date are being undertaken during military flying slots only to ensure least effect on civil aircraft operations. This has also affected operational military missions in the past. Non-availability of the six-hour maintenance slot will lead to faster deterioration of the runway, which had been resurfaced just four years ago in very restricted timeline so that civil operations were not disturbed. It is to be kept in mind that availability of runway for maintenance is vital for safe operations and safety of passengers,” it added.
