Chennai airport enhances with simultaneous runway operations, flights increased by 10%

CHENNAI: With both runways at Chennai Airport now in simultaneous operation, flights on the second runway have increased by 10%. The boost in runway usage is expected to reduce delays in both departures and arrivals, as announced by airport officials.

Chennai Airport has two operational runways in which the main runway, which is 3.66 kilometers long, accommodates large aircraft for arrivals, landings, and take-offs. The second runway, measuring 2.89 kilometers, is used primarily for 76-seater ATRs and private jets.

The Airports Authority of India has implemented measures to enable simultaneous use of both runways and also improving the connecting taxiways, specifically Taxiway B, which previously had a curved design that slowed down the movement of landing and departing, The recent straightening of Taxiway B has resolved this issue, allowing smoother transitions between the runways.

Following these improvements, the number of flights using the second runway at Chennai Airport has been steadily rising. In April of this year, the second runway handled 615 flights. By June, this number had surged by 10% to 952 flights. Expectations are that flight operations on the second runway will continue to grow

This increase in runway usage will lead to a higher volume of flights arriving, landing, and departing at Chennai Airport. Previously, the airport managed 30 flights per hour, but this has now risen to over 50 flights per hour.