{"id":56715,"date":"2024-02-13T21:45:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T16:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=56715"},"modified":"2024-03-13T12:13:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T06:43:43","slug":"govt-told-mumbai-airport-to-reduce-flights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/13\/govt-told-mumbai-airport-to-reduce-flights\/","title":{"rendered":"Govt Told Mumbai Airport to Reduce Flights, Air India Group and IndiGo Impacted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MUMBAI-<\/strong> The Indian government has instructed Mumbai Airport (BOM)<\/a> to decrease the volume of scheduled flights and limit the activity of business jets during peak hours, aiming to alleviate congestion and enhance on-time departures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This directive will compel airlines to reduce approximately 40 flights, impacting the operations of private jets frequently utilized by some of the nation’s leading business entities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Photo: CSMIA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mumbai Airport to Reduce Flights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Airport Authority of India, responsible for air navigation services, has instructed the airport to decrease aircraft movements from 46 to 44 during rush hours and from 44 to 42 during non-peak hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This directive to reduce flight numbers is expected to lead airlines to cut around 40 flights starting from the middle of this week, according to industry executives knowledgeable about the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IndiGo Airlines (6E)<\/a>, operating the largest number of flights, is anticipated to reduce 18 flights, while the Air India (AI)<\/a> group, including Vistara (UK)<\/a>, will need to cut 17, as per executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concurrently, the curfew on the operation of business jets has been extended from four to eight hours, eliciting protests from prominent corporate entities such as Reliance Industries, JSW, and the Mahindra group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the second busiest airport in the country, owned by the Adani <\/a>group, and experiencing significant business jet traffic, it operates more flights than any other single-runway airport. In December, it achieved its highest monthly traffic, handling 4.88 million passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources familiar with the situation indicated that the decision was made following concerns raised by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia regarding the declining on-time departure performance at the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Govt
Photo: Bhavya Velani\/ Aviation A2Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

OverScheduling and Congestion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Senior air traffic controllers identified overscheduling by airlines as the primary cause of delays, attributing it to the escalating demand for air travel this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official explained, \u201cRunway capacity is influenced by various factors, including the availability of infrastructure such as parking stands and the time taken by aircraft to vacate the runway. The airport allocated slots to airlines considering the peak handling capacity. However, if an aircraft is pushing back from one bay, the adjacent aircraft in the parking bay cannot move, even if it’s ready for takeoff.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further noted, \u201cIn a city like Mumbai, there are numerous unscheduled movements, such as government and business house aircraft, which can sometimes impede scheduled flights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the government has urged airports to incorporate unforeseen circumstances into their peak-hour capacity forecasts, effective from the upcoming summer schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Govt
Photo: Bhavya Velani\/ Aviation A2Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sudden Blow to Airlines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Airline network planners noted that abrupt cancellations negatively impact their aircraft redeployment capabilities, resulting in financial losses. An airline executive commented, \u201cAirlines will have to pay a substantial amount in compensation to passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expressing concern about the additional restrictions on business jets, Rajesh Bali, Managing Director of the Business Aircraft Operator Association, mentioned that corporate leaders, who depend on private jets for travel, already faced limited operating slots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese new restrictions will significantly impede business aviation operations, impacting Mumbai’s role as the commercial hub of the nation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air traffic has surged significantly post-COVID, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, yet major airports grapple with substantial congestion, sparking public concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aviation security regulator BCAS has introduced a mandate stipulating that the introduction of new flights at airports must align with the passenger-handling capacity at security checkpoints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BCAS has established a standard specifying that each X-ray machine can manage a maximum of 180 passengers per hour on the domestic side and 160 passengers on the international side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join us on Telegram Group <\/a>for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adani to Demolish T1 and Make New One After Navi Mumbai Airport Opening<\/a><\/blockquote>