BANGALORE: The Bangalore International Airport (BIA) will be closed for seven hours every day from March 11 to April 3 for runway modernisation. As part of protocol, the airport authorities have confirmed that they have informed all airlines and concerned authorities that the airport ‘would not allow’ any emergency landing during the time.BIA has issued a NOTAM (Notices To Air Men), which specifies that the airport would not be available for any emergency landings from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm (the scheduled time for closure) in this period. Speaking to Express, BIA sources confirmed that the NOTAM was issued in accordance with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines.They said that runway was being closed on account of maintenance work. They said that in certain parts the entire runway would be closed whereas in a few other parts, there would partial closure. “It would have minimal impact on airport operations,” sources said.Stating that they had pursued all efforts to ensure that passengers are well informed of the developments, they added that they would be completing the maintenance work before the onset of the monsoon. They informed that the airport handles about 340 flights every day. “Departure peak hour is 0600 hours with 17 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs - refers to landing and take-offs) and in arrival in 0900 hours, there are 16 ATMs,” the sources said. Authorities said that the decision of the maintenance work has been collective and in consultation with all its key stakeholders including domestic and international airlines, Air Traffic Control, Airports Authority of India and the DGCA.
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