Delhi Airport to cancel 114 daily flights for runway upgrade from June 15

Delhi Airport to cancel 114 daily flights for runway upgrade from June 15

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Friday announced that 114 flights, or 7.5% of daily operations, will be cancelled for three months starting June 15 due to the closure of runway RW 10/28 for upgradation work.

The runway, one of four at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), will remain closed until September 15 to undergo an Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgrade that will make it CAT III compliant, enabling low-visibility operations during the fog season.

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said at a press conference that the closure is essential to address operational challenges, especially during winter. “We want to upgrade the runway to mitigate any issues or problems that we were facing, especially during the fog season,” he said.

The airport, which handles around 1,450 daily flight movements, will see an average reduction of 7.5% in operations during the period. While 114 flights per day will be cancelled, another 86 flights will be rescheduled from peak to non-peak hours.

RW 10/28 was previously shut for upgrades in April but reopened due to congestion and operational challenges. The revised schedule from June 15 to September 15 was decided in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and airline stakeholders.

The ILS upgrade is expected to be completed by November 27, just ahead of peak fog season. DIAL said passengers are being informed in advance and assured that efforts are being made to minimise disruptions and maintain operational stability.

IGIA currently operates three other runways — RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, and RW 11L/29R — and two terminals, T1 and T3. Terminal T2 is closed for maintenance.