As a part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport’s (CSMIA) monsoon contingency plan, both runways — RWY 09/27 and 14/32 — will remain temporarily non-operational on May 2 for pre-monsoon maintenance and repair work. The temporary closure will be from 11 am to 5 pm and a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) has been issued in this regard. All operations will resume as usual from May 2, 2023 after 5 pm, as per the official statement issued on Tuesday by the airport’s public relation office. The scheduled temporary runway closure is a yearly practice and contingency plan and the same helps maintain operational continuity and ensures safety of passengers. The CSMIA is one of the world’s busiest single runway airports and witnesses nearly 900 flight movements each day. The airport has a network of runways, taxiways and apron encompassing nearly 1,033 acre. Thus, to ensure operational continuity during the monsoon months, timely check and repair work on the runways and associated facilities is undertaken. The yearly practice of runway maintenance work involves specialists in engineering and airside teams inspecting the runway surface for micro texture and macro texture wear and tear that may have occurred due to day-to-day operations and help strengthen the airside strip. Mumbai’s CSMIA has strategically and meticulously planned the runway maintenance work in collaboration with its multiple stakeholders, including airlines and aviation authorities. As a collective goal to ensure zero inconvenience to its passengers, the CSMIA has intimated all its relevant stakeholders six months in advance. This has also helped airlines to plan their flight schedules accordingly. During the four critical months of monsoon, Mumbai airport handles close to 92,000 ATMs, which fly approximately 10 million passengers to India’s financial capital. Thus, the maintenance work is a part of the airport’s monsoon contingency plan that has been devised to respond and mitigate any possible issues that might arise due to inclement weather in the city during the monsoon season, thus ensuring business continuity and assurance to all airlines and passengers that the airport functions round the clock, the official statement reads.
