VIJAYAWADA: The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently granted permission for flight landing and take-off from the expanded runway at the Vijayawada International Airport in Gannavaram. However, the expanded runway will be used only after two or three months, once all the parameters set by the DGCA are met, official sources said.
Airport director G Madhusudana Rao told TNIE on Wednesday that the DGCA approved the commissioning of the newly-extended runway in the terminal with certain pre-conditions, which include flight trials and other safety requirements.
“Flight trials on the extended runway are likely to be conducted in the last week of November since we recently submitted the friction test reports of the runway to the DGCA. After getting the approval, gigantic flights such as Boeing 747-400 and 777-300 can land and take off. Besides, the terminal can accommodate 16 aircraft,” he said.
The airport director elaborated that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) began expanding the runway in February 2017. The work included re-carpeting and strengthening the 2,286 metre existing runway and extending it by 1,074 metres. The total length of the runway is now 3,360 m, and the width remains 45 m. The expansion was completed in 24 months at an estimated cost of Rs 160 crore.
Though the expansion was proposed in 2009, acquisition of land for the expansion proved to be a hurdle. The State government acquired 700 acres of land for the expansion, and the foundation stone was laid in February 2017, Madhusudana Rao said. Initial hiccups were faced due to the unwillingness of local villagers to be resettled, he added.
The Krishna district administration negotiated with the villagers, and in June 2019, work on the extended runway, including electrification, was completed. “We have been in touch with DGCA officials for approval for landing and take-off of flights since the work was completed. Due to various reasons, including the lockdown, it got delayed. Following our repeated appeals, the DGCA examined various reports virtually and recently granted approval,” the airport director explained.