Test runs to begin on new runway at Delhi's IGI airport

New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi International airport at New Delhi will soon start testing a new runway, its third, intended to help the airport take on increased air traffic. Test trials are scheduled to commence from 15 August.

Airport officials said that Airports Authority of India and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) will begin to land a few aircraft on the runway using Category I landing procedures. The third runway will increase the airport's capacity from the current 36 takeoffs and landings per hour to 65.

According to sources, the trial runs will take place for a few days and the runway will be made operational for commercial flights by the end of August or beginning of September. ''Almost all civil and technical work has been completed and trial runs should begin soon,'' said a DIAL official.