Airport to close for 3-4 hours for maintenance beginning April

Ahmedabad, Feb 12 (PTI) Sardar Vallabhbhai InternationalAirport (SVIA) here is likely to remain closed for 3-4 hours aday during the afternoons beginning April for the runwaymaintenance work.

"We are in the process of seeking the requisiteclearances for undertaking maintenance of runway here. There-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 summerschedules of airlines operating from here will have to bechanged.

"A dialogue has already been initiated with all theairline operators here to change their summer flightschedules," Aggarwal said.

The runway maintenance work usually needs three months.

"There won''t be any major impact on us....It is amandatory exercise for safety purposes," an Air India officialsaid, preferring anonymity.

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