Chennai: In yet another case of wasting aviation fuel by flights circling over Chennai airport for multiple times for lack of landing space due to maintenance of runways, two flights were made to circle for about 65 minutes on Tuesday. As a result more than 600 kilos of aviation fuel have been wasted. Tones and tones of precious fuel have been wasted at a time we can ill afford the burden of imported fuel going waste. This has been happening for nearly four years.
A large number of passengers was affected due to the delay of flights in landing Chennai airport. On Tuesday the Air India flight from Coimbatore landed at the Chennai airport at 4.40 pm after a delay of 25 minutes and Air India flight from Goa reached Chennai at 4.10 pm after a delay of 38 minutes.
When contacted, official sources said these fights were made to circle over the Chennai airport since three IndiGo airline flights reached runway and were ready to take off in the afternoon. The IndiGo airlines flight which was scheduled to depart to Ahmedabad at 4.10 pm left only at 4.25 pm, IndiGo airlines flight which was scheduled to depart to Hyderabad at 4.15 pm left at 4.35 p.m and IndiGo airlines flight which was scheduled to depart to Madurai at 4.20 pm left at 4.38 pm.
According to sources the two runways in the Chennai airport being closed for maintenance work between 2.30 p.m and 4.30 pm on every Tuesday and Saturday for the past four years. As a result the landing and take off of flights at Chennai airport are delayed.
The air traffic has increased over the years and in an average 500 flights, including commercial and cargo flights, arrives and departs Chennai airport every day. The Chennai airport has only 85 bay for the flights. After completion of the developmental project the airport will have 175 bay, which would accommodate more flights in the airport.
Such delays would be a thing of the past once the developmental work completes.
