KIA Runway-2 completes validation flight; to open Dec 5

The second runway of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here moved closer to a December 5 commercial opening with the successful completion of the validation flights on Tuesday.

The validation flights certified the aerodrome navigational aids and instrument procedures as determined by civil aviation regulations.

“The new south runway nears operational readiness with the successful completion of validation flight on August 27,” the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) announced.

The Code F and Cat III-B Instrument Landing System (ILS) compliant runway, measuring 4,000 metres in length and 45 metres in width, will begin operations – initially with CAT I standard certification — and will progressively evolve to CAT III-B as operations stabilise.

Once the CAT III-B level is achieved, the new runway will help flights take off and land even at low visibility. Over the past several years, hundreds of flights were disrupted as the existing runway is only of CAT-I ILS. BIAL has proposed to upgrade this runway too once the new one stabilises.

Following infrastructure and procedural improvements, the runways will eventually be used for independent mixed-mode operations, allowing flights to take-off and land from either runway, said a BIAL spokesperson.

Aircraft attached to commercial airlines, SpiceJet, AirAsia and IndiGo took part in the validation flights.

The second runway, called the New South Parallel Runway (NSPR) will also allow the landing of Code F aircraft such as the massive Airbus-380. The runway will be complemented by dual parallel taxiiways and an Eastern crossfield taxiiway.

Nearly 1.5 years in the making, the runway construction involved 16 million cubic metres of earthwork, cutting, filling and grading. One lakh metric tons of boulders had to be relocated, besides 40 MT of aggregates, BIAL Chief Executive Officer, Hari Marar had informed.

The two runways will have to be fully operationalised by 2020 to meet the high Cumulative Annual Growth Rate of passenger traffic at the KIA. The BIAL has estimated that the CAGR will increase by 13.5% over the next few years.

The KIA served 33 million passengers in 2018-19.