Delhi Airport Shuts 3rd Runway For 3 Months For Rehab Work; How Will This Affect Flyers?

If you’re planning to fly to or from Delhi soon, then this one is for you! Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has shut down its third runway for the next three months due to major rehabilitation work. The closure came into effect at 12 AM on Thursday. Here’s all you need to know about this.

Delhi Airport Closes Third Runway For 3 Months

As per the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), runway 29L/11R will remain closed for landings and take-offs from 12 AM IST on February 26, until 12 AM IST on May 26. This shut down has been put in place for major rehabilitation work at the runway.

According to Hindustan Times, the authorities will be resurfacing the runway, building a new rapid exit taxiway, and installing an upgraded Instrument Landing System (ILS) to improve flight operations and safety. In January, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) mentioned in a statement that the runway “requires strengthening and upgrades to enhance safety, operational resilience and future capacity.”

The runway closure was initially scheduled for February 16 but was deferred due to the AI Summit in Delhi. It will now remain shut for three months, though the closure may be extended if authorities deem it necessary.

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Will This Affect Flight Operations?

With the third runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport closed, more than 15 taxiways will also remain unavailable. However, according to the NOTAM, additional temporary procedures have been put in place to help air traffic controllers manage operations safely.

With the peak summer travel season approaching, should flyers be worried? Airport authorities have said that flight operations are expected to continue smoothly. On an average day, the airport handles around 1,520 arrivals and departures. With the scheduled runway closure, DIAL has said it will still be able to manage about 1,514 flight movements per day. NDTV has reported that during a similar closure in 2025, nearly 200 flights were reportedly affected each day.

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We hope this information was helpful to you all.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/Taha Atakul (representative image)