Mumbai airport runways closure: 230 flights cancelled, airfares jump 23%

As many as 230 flights were cancelled on Thursday from the Mumbai airport here due to closure of two runways for maintenance and repair work, according to a source. Travel portal ixigo said average airfares have increased 23 per cent on key routes to and from Mumbai for the next few days.

Both runways of the airport are being closed from 11 am to 5 pm for three days every week between February 7 and March 30. During this period, the runways would be shut for maintenance and repair work on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The primary runway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport can handle up to 50 arrivals and departures an hour. The secondary runway can handle 35 flight movements per hour.

The source at the airport said that 230 flights were cancelled Thursday due to the closure of runways.

Ixigo's co-founder and CEO Aloke Bajpai Wednesday said that airfares have seen an average spike of 23 per cent on key routes to and from Mumbai.

"Ahmedabad-Mumbai has seen a substantial hike in airfares of over 80 per cent as compared to last week. Last minute non-stop flights and stop over flights have been impacted the most, recording a growth of over 200 per cent in some cases.

"Around 33 per cent of all flights from Mumbai airport were delayed today and we expect a further increase in cancellations and delays over the next few days," he said in a statement.

On an average, the airport handles around 1,000 flights a day.