With peak summer travel placing immense strain on operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), authorities have taken the unprecedented decision to temporarily reopen runway 10/28, which had been shut earlier this month for a critical upgrade.
The decision, prompted by severe flight delays and mounting pressure from airlines, reflects the complexities of managing infrastructure amid evolving weather patterns and passenger surges. The move is expected to marginally improve the airport’s arrival handling capacity until the Instrument Landing System (ILS) enhancement is fully completed later this year. The runway, one of the busiest in the country, was closed on 8 April to facilitate the installation of a CAT III ILS, a necessary upgrade that would eventually help the airport deal with Delhi’s notorious winter fog. However, the early onset of easterly winds — highly unusual for this season — disrupted typical flight paths, constraining arrival slots and slowing turnaround times for airlines. The operational bottleneck, combined with high passenger volumes and the ongoing closure of Terminal 2 for renovation, culminated in a significant congestion crisis at one of Asia’s busiest airports.
Authorities from Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), air traffic control, and representatives from leading airlines convened last week in a high-level emergency meeting to address the situation. Industry insiders have indicated that Indian carriers risked cumulative losses in the range of ₹1,000 crore due to widespread delays, cancellations, and schedule disruptions. With passenger confidence at stake and mounting logistical complications, the consensus among stakeholders was to partially resume operations on runway 10/28 — even without the full ILS functionality.
For the interim period, the reopened runway will accommodate non-precision approaches, a solution deemed sufficient under current visibility conditions. While not ideal, the short-term measure is intended to relieve the pressure on runways 11R, 29, and 27, which are being stretched beyond optimal capacity. Under easterly wind patterns, IGIA’s airside capacity dips significantly, handling only about 32 arrivals per hour as compared to 42 under normal westerly winds. The disruption was exacerbated by a thunderstorm on 11 April that saw wind speeds of up to 74 km/h, impacting over 400 scheduled flights within 48 hours.
Compounding the challenge, all operations have had to be redistributed between Terminals 1 and 3 due to Terminal 2’s renovation works, leading to overcrowded check-in halls, prolonged security queues, and limited boarding space. The lack of seamless passenger flow and poor terminal coordination has sparked concerns around passenger experience, carbon footprint due to idling aircraft, and resource waste — making it a lesson in the need for sustainable and future-ready infrastructure planning.
The airport operator is expected to close runway 10/28 once again around mid-June when air traffic traditionally tapers off. While the temporary reopening may bring short-term relief, the episode underscores the urgent need for synchronised planning between meteorological forecasting, infrastructure upgrades, and sustainable urban aviation practices. In an era of climate volatility and explosive passenger growth, India’s aviation hubs must invest in climate-resilient solutions and policy-level coordination to prevent such crises from becoming cyclical.
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