Chennai Airport’s Rapid Exit Taxiway To Be Operational Soon
The airport expects to ease congestion through this new airside addition.
Chennai International Airport’s congestion is expected to ease considerably with the completion of a new rapid exit taxiway that will become operational soon. The government-run airport has had several airside modifications in the last few years, and the latest modernization phase includes building more such rapid exit taxiways for smoother operations.
Ready
Chennai International Airport in South India will soon have a new rapid exit taxiway that will allow it to handle more flights during peak hours. The Hindu reports that the rapid exit taxiway has been completed but awaits a few clearances from relevant authorities. Once that happens, it will become operational. The report quotes an official as saying,
“This rapid exit taxiway is located between taxiways ‘D’ and ‘F’. Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out an inspection, and we are waiting for approval. Also, this work has to be notified in the aeronautical information publication, only after that can it become functional.”
The entire phase II modernization project of the airport comes at a cost of ₹25 billion ($300 million), and another such taxiway is also under construction at the moment. In July 2022, Chennai airport opened its primary taxiway ‘Bravo’ after four years of straightening work that began in 2018. The airport had explained in a statement last year about the problems faced by the curved taxiway,
“Earlier, the B-TWY had a curve at the Guindy end which resulted in certain restrictions leading to aircraft holding, thereby consuming more time and fuel for departing flights taxiing from terminal to primary runway for take-off.”
Efforts to optimize operations
To make better use of space, counters, and other assets and resources at Chennai Airport, the Airports Authority of India has also introduced a new system that will offer a better experience for passengers passing through the airport.
A new common sharing platform called Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) will help process timely information about various airport-related operations and help manage issues like delays and congestion more efficiently. The airport released a statement that said,
“In order to avoid delays in flight departures, new software called ‘Airport Collaborative Decision Making’ (A-CDM) has been implemented at the Chennai Airport. Airport operators, airlines, ground operations companies, and air traffic controllers can make coordinated decisions while avoiding delays and ensuring faster service by using A-CDM software.”
Proposal for privatization
One of the busiest airports in the country, Chennai International Airport, is managed by the Airports Authority of India. The central government of India privatized several airports in the country in phase 1 of such a development.
Now, Chennai airport has been named as one of the 25 additional airports in India to be privatized in the next phase. At the moment, the terms and conditions of the bidding are being finalized, and the government hopes to raise substantial capital through the bidding process.
Source: The Hindu
