Civil Aviation Ministry says Mumbai airport imposes flight restrictions to ease congestion

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday said flight restrictions have been imposed at Mumbai airport to ease congestion caused by various factors, including non-scheduled flight operations during peak hours.

The airport is operated by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).

In a detailed statement released late on Tuesday, the department said airport operators should proactively take steps to streamline and standardize air traffic to address congestion.

However, with the airport operator taking no such action, the department said it had to step in.

While Mumbai airport is operating at full capacity, the department said it found the reason for the ongoing congestion was “over-allocation of flight slots by airport operators within limited time frames” and non-compliance with regulations representing flight slots. Airlines and non-scheduled flights during peak hours.

On January 2, air navigation services provider Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued directives to airport operators to limit air traffic during HIRO (High Intensity Runway Operations) to 46 to 44 aircraft per hour.

During non-HIRO periods, air traffic movements are limited from 44 to 42 movements.

The HIRO periods are 0800-1100 hours, 1700-2000 hours and 2115-2315 hours.

“The operation of general aviation aircraft is also subject to restrictions during HIRO. MIAL is expected to take immediate action to ensure that all airlines comply with the prescribed restrictions,” the statement said.

The ministry noted that this action was taken in the greater public interest from the perspective of airspace safety, operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction.

The statement said runway congestion and overcapacity at Mumbai Airport had inadvertently led to airspace congestion, forcing flights to circle over the city for about 40 to 60 minutes.

“Considering that an aircraft consumes an average of 2,000 kilograms of fuel per hour, such a long hovering time will result in a serious waste of fuel for the aircraft. A 40-minute hovering time will consume 1.7 liters of aviation fuel (approximately costing about Rs 1.80 lakh) in the air. Approximately 2.5 liters of jet fuel (costs approximately Rs. 2.60 lakh) and flight time is 60 minutes.

“Understandably, increased fuel costs will ultimately be borne by consumers. This will also have a knock-on effect on airport operational efficiency, leading to longer waiting times and excessive delays, with a detrimental impact on both passengers and airlines.”

Further, the statement also said that the government is aware of the need to step in to strike a balance between the needs of airport operators and airlines while ensuring that passengers have a satisfactory experience while flying from Mumbai Airport.

Earlier in the day, Alkasa Air said it would cancel four daily flights between Mumbai and Bengaluru in line with government guidelines issued to reduce congestion at Mumbai airport.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)