Mumbai Airport Delays: Flights, Congestion, and Curtailed Operations

Have you as a flier encountered delays during take-off at Mumbai Airport lately?

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There had been a noticeable increase in wait times for aircraft taxiing and taking off during daytime hours. These delays stem from factors beyond typical air traffic control (ATC) issues and congestion.

After many complaints, the aviation ministry's directive to Mumbai Airport to reduce flights stemmed from the operator's lack of proactive action in addressing the issue of "excessive slot distribution." On January 2, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a directive that, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) faces congestion and excess capacity on its runways, leading to airspace congestion. This results in flights circling over the city for extended periods, ranging from 40 to 60 minutes. To restore punctuality at the congested Mumbai Airport, approximately 40 flights will need to be trimmed daily.’’

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) analyzed to address the problem of airspace congestion in Mumbai. As found by the study “air traffic permitted per hour during the six hours of ‘high-intensity runway operations’ (HIRO) from 8-11 am and 5-8 pm was almost equal to air traffic permitted per hour during the remaining 18 hours of the day. In addition, general aviation (charters) and military aircraft operations were also allowed without any restrictions. Besides, owing to the presence of transverse (cross) runways, operation of non-scheduled flights further increases air traffic congestion during peak hours,” the statement by the ministry said.