Civil aviation operations at four airports controlled by the Indian Air Force — Jodhpur, Srinagar, Pune and Adampur — are set to face temporary closures or operational restrictions this year as authorities carry out runway maintenance and planned infrastructure upgrades, officials said.
All four airports are shared facilities where civilian flights operate from Air Force bases. Runway surfaces at such bases must meet the operational requirements of fighter jets and other military aircraft, making regular maintenance essential.
“The authorities have already issued Notams (notice to air missions) for some closures, while the airlines were informed months ago through the government coordination process,” an official said.
Of the four airports, the most pressing flight interruption is expected to occur at Jodhpur Airport, where runway re-carpeting work will be carried out in phases from the end of the month. “The first phase of work was initially scheduled to start on March 1 but it has not started yet. However, it will be confirmed that the third phase will be completed by May,” another official said.
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As of March 1, Jodhpur witnesses 28 daily flight operations with around 4,000 to 4,300 passenger movements daily.
Under the plan, the runway work in Jodhpur will be carried out in three phases to minimize disruption. In the first phase, approximately a third of the runway will be closed, allowing aircraft such as the Airbus A320 to continue operating, although larger aircraft such as the Airbus A321 may not be able to use the shortened runway. The second phase will require the runway to be completely closed when work moves to the central section.
The Jodhpur airport is proposed to remain completely closed for civil operations for approximately 30 days between March 29 and April 29. “Once this part is completed, work will move to the final section of the runway, allowing partial operations again,” the official said.
Airlines have been asked to adjust timetables accordingly, allowing options to fly to the nearest airports or receive a full refund in the event of a flight cancellation. An airline official told HT that the schedules have already been revised. “Passengers who booked to Jodhpur were given the option to fly to the nearest airport or change their travel date. They even got a full refund if needed,” said this person, who requested anonymity.
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Lockdowns will continue to be annoying. “Such long airport closures especially affect passengers during the summer travel season when domestic travel in India reaches its peak due to school holidays,” another airline official who requested anonymity said. “For airlines, this means adjusting their summer flight schedules, incurring some revenue losses and adjusting aircraft schedules, which may also impact other destinations.”
Srinagar Airport is also expected to undergo runway maintenance this year, resulting in intermittent restrictions on civil aviation operations. The airport has gone through similar cycles before — in early 2022, work on the runway spread over weekends during February and March, followed months later by the disruption of evening flights while the Indian Air Force installed a new automated landing system.
“Srinagar airport will remain closed for flights on weekends for approximately 11 weeks starting from August 1 to October 15. This will be followed by a complete closure of the airport for 21 days from October 16 to November 5,” a third official said.
During this period, airlines may be given the option to temporarily operate from the nearby Awantipur air base, which is located about 25 km from Srinagar, people familiar with the matter said. Awantipur is a co-located airport which has handled civil operations in the past when needed.
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At Pune airport, authorities are also planning to upgrade the runway which could lead to a closure of about eight days, although the timeline is yet to be finalised. The maintenance work was earlier expected to take place in April, but the schedule is currently under review. Pune last underwent a complete runway closure in October 2021 – a 14-day closure for resurfacing works, which at the time was described as the second such closure in 13 years. “The authorities and relevant stakeholders will be informed of the closure well in advance,” the official added.
While Adampur Airport in Punjab is scheduled to undergo an infrastructure upgrade, it is unlikely to see immediate disruption. Runway maintenance is scheduled only after November, when the airport may face restrictions for several months. “The airport is expected to be closed for eight months. But this will happen in any of the last two months,” the official said.
“A committee meeting is usually held about six months before the maintenance period, and includes representatives of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IAF, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and airlines operating at the airport. “During these meetings, airlines are informed of the proposed closure periods and are advised not to schedule new flights or open bookings during those dates,” said a former bureaucrat. “Once the maintenance schedule is finalized, Notams are issued to formally notify the airlines and pilots of the operational restrictions.”
