The authorities have begun rubber removal from the tarmac at the airport on a war-footing following DGCA inspection that revealed the poor condition of the runway in Chennai.
However, the airlines are reluctant to change their schedules to accommodate about six hours of runway closure everyday.
“The AAI should have opened the secondary runway so that smaller aircraft could land there when the primary runway is closed,” said an airline official, pointing at the laxity in completing formalities to open the secondary runway that extends over the new bridge.
Aviation expert Capt A. Ranganathan said the pilots are not getting required friction at the Chennai airport because of rubber deposits. “It can lead to incidents such as runway overrun or a lateral slide off the runway,” he said.
Airport director H.S. Suresh told Deccan Chronicle that the authorities have been closing the runway for two hours each on Tuesdays and Saturdays for maintenance work.
“Following the DGCA report, we have started milling work on the runway without affecting the operations.
We will finalise the number of hours required to re-carpet the runway in a meeting with airline officials on Thursday,” he said.
At present, the rubber removal work is going on in three phases everyday for a period of one and a half hours each.
“We give three-forth of the runway for aircraft operations and do the milling work in the remaining area. When there is a request for whole length of the runway, we immediately vacate the place,” said a senior official at the airport.
The authorities are considering closure of runway for up to six hours a day to repair and lay new coating.
On the opening of the secondary runway, Suresh said the reports have been submitted to the headquarters and they are waiting for the DGCA nod to open the extended portion of the runway that runs over Adyar River.