The government has asked the Mumbai airport to cut nearly 40 flights per day in order to curb severe congestion that often leads to aircraft hovering over the airport for 40 to 60 minutes to get a landing slot as well as flight delays.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said it was forced to step in after the Mumbai International Airport Limited failed to streamline traffic.
The government also found the airport guilty of granting arrival and departure slots to airlines in excess of its capacity and without sufficient time gap between various flights, the Ministry said.
On January 2, the Airports Authority of India issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) restricting air traffic movements from 46 to 44 between peak hours (between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and 9.15 p.m. and 11.15 p.m.). Movements during non-peak hours have also been reduced from 44 to 42.
Additionally, charter flight operations during peak hours have been restricted.
The Ministry statement said the waiting time of 40 to 60 minutes entailed an additional cost of ₹1.8 lakh to ₹2.6 lakh on jet fuel, which would eventually be passed on to customers in the form of higher airfares.
