Delhi faces more air disruption

By Rajan Chakravarty
BBC News, Delhi

Air traffic is growing fast in India

The Indian Air Force says it cannot alter a four-day programme of air exercises that has caused disruption to flights in and out of Delhi airport.

The exercises are rehearsals ahead of flight displays for Air Force Day that take place on Saturday.

They have resulted in the country's busiest airport being closed for two hours in the morning.

One flight from London had to be diverted to Lahore in Pakistan as a result of the closure.

Traffic increase

The move to close Delhi airport from 0800-1000 for four mornings has resulted in both international and domestic flights having to be rescheduled.

It affected flights on Monday and Tuesday and will affect flights on Thursday and Saturday.

It comes at a time when air traffic in India in increasing rapidly with a slew of new low-cost airlines launching operations.

On Monday, a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Delhi had to be diverted to Lahore, in Pakistan.

Air traffic control in Delhi told the pilot there were 20 flights ahead of him in the queue to land.

That would have meant circling Delhi for an hour before being given permission to land.

As the plane did not have enough fuel for that, it had to fly to Lahore to refuel, leading to a four-hour delay.

The pilot was given no explanation for the disruption.

'Duty'

Indian Air Force spokesman Colonel Mahesh Upasani told the BBC that the onus lay with the flight operators to inform the passengers about the changed timings.

"It is the duty of an operator to plan his flights, keeping the comfort and convenience of the passenger in mind," Colonel Upasani said.

"The timings and dates of the air exercise are fixed. The people concerned with the closure of the airport have been intimated well in advance."

The body that runs the country's airways, the Airport Authority of India, told the BBC that the warnings of the closures had already been given to air companies.

A former official of the authority said the closure of Delhi airport sent the wrong signals at a time when India was trying to project itself as a modern country.

"The air force can be advised to celebrate their formation day from some other airbase. It has several airports at its disposal," GS Bhatura, a former executive director of the authority said.