Now, KIA can handle more flights at peak hours

The peak-hour flight handling capacity of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here just got a hyper-boost. The Airport has completed work on two new Rapid Exit Taxiways (RETs), allowing 44 flights to either take off or land every hour, up from 34 air traffic movements.

Easing peak congestion drastically at India’s third busiest airport, the new RETs (named A6 and A7) will be formally operationalised on August 17, BIAL’s President, Airport Operations, Hari Marar told DH.

KIA will then be equipped to handle about 700 flight take offs and landings a day, a major upgrade from the current 520.

The RETs will allow aircraft to vacate the runway at higher speeds, permitting another flight to land or take off in a shorter interval of time. Work on the RETs was completed on July 6, according to airport sources.  The new facility was approved for testing and trials on Tuesday.

The airport already has three RETs. It is learnt that two more taxiways are to be built in the near future.

KIA’s flight handling capacity is severely stretched during the peak hours between 6 am and 8.30 am and from 7 pm to 10 pm. To facilitate speedy construction of the RETs and runway upgrade, flight operations at the airport had been suspended from February 17 to April 30, between 10.30 am and 5 pm.

While the runway upgrade was completed by April 30, work on the RETs progressed for another 2.5 months.

The enhanced air traffic movements are expected to increase KIA's overall passenger handling capacity to 26.5 million a year from the current 20 million. The second runway  beingbuilt, is likely to be operational by September 2019. The existing and new RETs are equipped with LED airfield lightings. Airport sources said this is part of an overall strategy to boost KIA's eco-friendliness.  

Both the new taxiways allow passage of large aircraft, including the Airbus 380. The RETs have been designed to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Code F standards with minimum width of 25m and paved shoulders of 17.5m.