With pre-monsoon preparedness on track, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) successfully completed the runway repair and maintenance work on Tuesday, May 10. The runway work started at 1100hrs on Tuesday and after careful evaluation, both runways - RWY 14/32 & 09/27. Therefore flight movements from 1700hrs were operations.
CSMIA is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, with over 770 air traffic movements per day. To enable smooth functioning in monsoon, CSMIA had temporarily closed its runway between 1100hrs to 1700hrs for maintenance and repair work on Tuesday.
Given that Mumbai receives around 400 to 700 mm average rainfall every year, CSMIA carried out multiple runway inspections to be prepared for the adversities that come with Mumbai rains.
Various pre-monsoon measures have also been implemented where waterlog-prone areas are identified and inspected; health check of runways by machine and manual observation by trained specialists is carried out to find superficial cracks, disjoints and texture.
Close to 5,000 aeronautical ground lights on runways and taxiways are serviced and checked, whilst 1,300 ground markings, which provide directional guidance to aircraft are removed and repainted.
Moreover, CSMIA also carried out critical checks which could only be performed during the runway closure. Repair works around the runway such as segregation of electric cables for primary and secondary runway, minor and major repair on runway intersections, and other complex tasks such as a Geotechnical survey by civil engineers for runway 14/32 were also carried out.
To mitigate any waterlogging, over 2000 drains and duct banks across the maze of runways were opened, checked, and cleaned. This ensures the integrity of cables, underground utilities, and the health of brilliantly lit aeronautical lighting systems essential for the navigation of aircraft. Additionally, associated activities of grass cutting, chamfering, milling, and filling were also performed at a brisk pace.
CSMIA’s Monsoon contingency plan has been put in place in coordination with internal and external stakeholders of the airport. CSMIA devised a contingency plan intending to respond to and mitigate the possible inclement weather, ensuring business continuity, and assurance to all airlines and passengers that the airport functions round the clock.
Between 1100hrs to 1700hrs of runway repair works, CSMIA in cooperation with the airlines were able to effectively reschedule 150 flights on departure and arrival. CSMIA's runway closure is a yearly practice and contingency plan as the same help maintain operational continuity and ensure passengers' safety.
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