The runway at Patna airport. Telegraph picture

Patna, Aug. 11: Airports Authority of India (AAI) today extended the effective date for re-notification of the length of runways at Jai Prakash International Airport, Patna, from August 16 to August 31.

“We received a directive today from the AAI headquarters in New Delhi. It states that the effective date for re-notification of the length of the runways at the Patna airport has been postponed till August 31. Accordingly, we have been directed to issue a notice to airmen (Notam) today itself to inform the operators from the airport about the development,” Patna airport director Arvind Dubey told The Telegraph.

The extension in the effective date for re-notification of the runway length has, at least for now, given another 16 days for continuation of operation of bigger aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 from the Patna airport.

The fate of big aircraft taking off and landing at the Patna airport would also be decided within these 16 days. The AAI, as well as its regulatory body, the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), would assess the status on the removal of obstacles along the aircraft approach funnel at the airport during this period.

“The effective date for re-notification of the length of runways at Patna airport has been postponed in consideration of the steps taken by the state government regarding removal of obstacles in the past few weeks. The AAI and the DGCA would now make an exhaustive assessment of the present status of the obstacles along the aircraft approach funnel and decide upon the revision in the length of the runways from the last re- notification,” a source at Patna airport said.

The AAI’s decision assumes significance in the wake of hectic discussions between officials of the state government, the AAI and the DGCA followed by the latter's visit to the state capital to inspect the progress of removal of obstructions coming in the way of runway during the past week. G.K. Chaukiyal, board member (operations), AAI Delhi, and joint director-general (JDG), DGCA, J.S. Rawat, had arrived in the state capital on August 8, following talks between chief minister Nitish Kumar and Union civil aviation minister Ajit Singh. The central team, after meeting chief secretary Navin Kumar and conducting aerial and ground surveys of the Patna airport, returned to the national capital on Thursday evening.

The AAI had on August 3 re-notified the length of the runways at the Patna airport according to the DGCA’s recommendation. According to the Notam issued on the same day, the landing distance available on runway 07 (Phulwarisharif end) was reduced from 1,677m to 1,141m. The landing distance on runway 25 (Patna zoo end) was also reduced to 1,289m from 1,820m. The take-off distance of both the runways was also downsized.

The revised length of the runways is not long enough for safe operation of bigger aircraft and allows only smaller aircraft like ATR and Bombardier CRJ, among others, to operate. Several airlines had stopped booking tickets for their flights. IndiGo airlines stopped booking tickets for any of its flights from Patna airport from August 6. However, booking on the official website of IndiGo airlines started again this afternoon. IndiGo operates five Airbus 320 a day from Patna to Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Lucknow. Moreover, the bookings are not restricted till August 31.

On the other hand, GoAir, which stopped booking on all its flights to and from Patna airport from August 7, has not started booking tickets for any of its flights till Saturday evening. No ticket is being booked on the official website of GoAir. The low-cost airline operates three airbus aircraft daily from Patna Airport to Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Ranchi, Goa and Ahmedabad.

The situation at Jet Airways, which had put a curb on booking tickets of its flights from August 6, remained the same till Saturday evening. “We have not yet received any written/official communication from the airports authority. We can revoke the restrictions put on the bookings of the tickets on our flight. We are, however, booking tickets for all our flights but subject to seats in ATR flights,” a Jet Airways source said.

Air India, on the other hand, has remained unaffected from the runway crisis episode till date and bookings are going unabated. None of the Kingfisher flights is operating from Patna airport since March 25 according to its ‘holding plan’.