Two taxiways opened at Chennai airport to cut congestion

CHENNAI: There may be fewer flight delays during peak hours as the Airports Authority of India has commissioned a rapid exit taxiway and a link taxiway that will reduce peak hour congestion at Chennai airport on Thursday. These will help the airport handle more flights and reduce the time taken by a flight to move out of the runway after landing.
The taxiways have been opened at a time when the airport’s peak hour flight handling capacity is expected to go up from 36 flights per hour to 45 flights per hour as passenger and aircraft movement has crossed pre-Covid levels.
The new facility would cut the runway occupancy time for arriving flights on the main runway and increase overall runway throughout, said a statement.
With a length of 400m and a width of 23m, this taxiway is strategically located at a distance of 1,831m from the threshold (beginning of landing portion of the runway) of runway 07 connecting to another taxiway B.
In addition to the new rapid exit taxiway, the authorities also commissioned a 150.93-metre-long link taxiway which provides flights an additional entry and exit to the main apron.
The link taxiway will offer swift and safe manoeuvring of aircraft on the main apron, particularly during peak hour traffic, thus reducing ground congestion.
The taxiways will also be beneficial because international operations will be shifted to the new terminal in the coming weeks.tnn