10 aerobridges too few for new peak capacity of 28 flights per hour
Ahmedabad airport has increased its peak-hour flight handling capacity after opening a new 1,100-metre parallel taxiway, ‘Romeo’. But despite this upgrade, the airport may still struggle with passenger delays due to a severe shortage of aerobridges.
With taxiway ‘Romeo’ and its connector ‘Romeo-1’, the airport can now handle 28 flight movements per hour, up from 20 earlier. Over 300 flights operate daily. The new parallel taxiway will also reduce take-off delays by helping aircraft avoid entering the main runway, saving 2–3 minutes per flight, cutting fuel use and lowering emissions.
Aerobridge shortage a major bottleneck
The airport has only 10 aerobridges—six at the international terminal and four at the domestic one. With more aircraft arriving each hour, demand far exceeds available aerobridges. This means aircraft may have to wait on the apron, leading to passengers sitting inside planes longer even after landing.
Airlines already rely heavily on ramps and coaches, and officials warn that these too might face pressure as flight numbers rise.
30 flights delayed on Monday
On Monday alone, 30 flights arriving in Ahmedabad were delayed by one to four hours, including four international flights. Fourteen of these were from Mumbai.
Passengers expressed frustration after an Air India flight departing from Ahmedabad was delayed by 3 hours and 20 minutes in the early morning. Flight delays and cancellations, seen last week, continued this week as well.
International delays
- IndiGo’s Ahmedabad–Jeddah flight: Delayed by 2 hours 20 minutes
- SpiceJet’s Ahmedabad–Dubai flight: Delayed by 1 hour
- Etihad’s Abu Dhabi–Ahmedabad flight: Delayed by 1 hour 20 minutes
Domestic delays
Air India’s Ahmedabad–Mumbai flight saw a 3 hour 20 minute delay, forcing passengers to wait five to six hours at the terminal.
Of the 30 delayed flights, 14 were on the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route, causing widespread inconvenience. Flights from Delhi, Jaipur, Indore, Goa, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Pune, Lucknow and Belgaum were also delayed by 50 minutes to two hours.
Airport officials say the new taxiway will speed up airside operations, but aerobridge shortages and high traffic volumes may continue to affect passenger experience.