Amdavad airport to close for 3-4 hours daily from April

Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport (SVIA) here is likely to remain closed for 3-4 hours a day during the afternoons beginning April for the runway maintenance work.

“We are in the process of seeking the requisite clearances for undertaking maintenance of runway here. The re-carpeting work is expected to begin from April this year,” said Anuj Aggarwal, Airport Director, SVIA.

Due to this once-in-five-years exercise, the summer schedules of airlines operating from here will have to be changed.

“A dialogue has already been initiated with all the airline operators here to change their summer flight schedules,” Aggarwal said.

The runway maintenance work usually needs three months.

“There won’t be any major impact on us….It is a mandatory exercise for safety purposes,” an Air India official said, preferring anonymity.

Over ten airlines, including Air India, Jet Airways, Indigo, Go Air and Kingfisher operate domestic flights from Ahmedabad, besides Singapore Airlines and Emirates who operate international flights.