"The taxiways came into operation at 9 a.m. They will reduce runway occupancy time for aircraft landing on the main runway. They will allow aircraft vacate the runway sooner, reduce waiting time for the following aircraft and result in faster landings," said an airport official.
While taxiway `U' can accommodate aircraft up to a Boeing 747, taxiway `V' is smaller and can fit an Airbus A380. "Both these taxiways have been provided with `fillets' to facilitate turning of the aircraft towards the international terminal," said the official.
To ensure that passengers flying within the country also have a chance at faster landings and take-offs, there is taxiway `B' located at 2,875m. Also, to ensure that congestion on the ground clears up a bit, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) will open up an rapid exit taxiway `F' for aircraft heading to the domestic terminal.
Even as efforts were on to ensure smoother landings with the new taxiways, the weather gods seemed to have other things in mind. The extremely hot weather on Saturday grounding some flights as some aircraft had to battle technical difficulties for an hour in the evening. "The temperature at the airport was over 49 degrees Celsius on Saturday. This heat affected the operation of mostly Indian flights which couldn't take-off or land for an hour from 4 p.m.," said an official.
- The Hindu
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