Delhi IGI Airport’s runway 11R/29L, which is commonly known as the third runway, will remain closed for landings and take-offs from today until the next three months for rehabilitation work, according to a circular released by the Airports Authority of India.
As per the dates mentioned in the notice, the runway will be out of service from Wednesday, 25 February to Monday, 25 May 2026.
The runway will remain shut during the peak summer travel season at the airport. However, the airport operator has previously told The Times of India that the closure is unlikely to have any significant impact on flight operations.
How many runways does Delhi Airport have?
The TOI report quoted an airport official as saying that, on average, 1,520 flights, including arrivals and departures, operate daily. However, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates IGI airport, had earlier noted that the airport’s scheduled capacity will be maintained at 1,514 movements per day during the closure period.
New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport operates with four runways: 27/9, 28/10, 29R/11L, and 11R/29L. Last year, when runway 28/10 at the airport was closed for repair work, around 200 flights were impacted every day, according to the report.
Why is the runway closed?
The rehabilitation work will include resurfacing the runway, construction of a new rapid-exit taxiway and installation of a new instrument landing system, which would require the stipulated closure time to be finished.
“Due to the closure of RWY 29L/11R, long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights may request a specific runway for departure due to performance requirements. Such requests may be considered as far as practicable,” the press release read.
To ensure that the closure instructions are strictly complied with, the Tower Supervisor has been kept on charge, according to the Airports Authority of India, a statutory body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
