This is what happens when aviation is not accorded consistent and crucial priority in Indian transportation planning. Let's hope it will be an eye-opener for Goa.
----------------------- New taxiways to reduce airport congestion at Delhi, Mumbai Traffic AAI board meets on Feb 28 to okay proposal, situation grim as aircraft wait to take off, circle to land SHISHIR GUPTA & SUDHI RANJAN SEN Posted online: Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 23: In a desperate measure to address a problem that has exploded around it, the board of the Airport Authority of India will meet on February 28 to clear a proposal to build three high-speed taxiways each at Delhi and Mumbai airports. Moves are also afoot to reduce the separation between two flying aircraft from three nautical miles to one-and-a-half. While civil aviation authorities realise that these moves will only paper over the cracks, they have no choice but to act right away. The situation is grim. ... .... .... ... .... .... Mumbai's problems are more acute. It has no space to build a parallel runway at the mandatory distance of 1,038 metres from the existing one. The government is actually examining a proposal to build another one just 300 metres away, to be used exclusively by smaller aircraft like ATRs and Boeing 737s. It is also looking at the possibility of moving helicopter and private jet operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji airport to Juhu. The Chief Air Traffic Controller has been working out the coordination between Shivaji and Juhu ATCs ------------------ See http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=65254 for the full story
