Trial operations are due to begin next week on a long-awaited third runway at Delhi airport in India, which airlines and the Government hope will ease congestion.
The Civil Aviation Ministry says in a statement following a meeting yesterday of the Government's Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation that trial operations on the third runway are due to begin on 21 August.
"Once this runway is operational, the congestion over Delhi airport is expected to go down substantially," says civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
India's air transport market has grown rapidly over the past five years, leading to severe congestion at major airports such as those at Delhi and Mumbai.
Delhi airport is undergoing a major expansion following a privatisation in 2006. An upgrade of its international terminal was completed recently and a large new terminal is due to open in 2010, lifting annual handling capacity to 37 million passengers.
A fourth runway and more terminals are to be added in later stages, eventually lifting to 100 million the number of passengers that can be handled each year.
Source: Flight International
