New taxiway N9 opened at Mumbai airport

As part of its ongoing efforts to upgrade the runway system at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. (MIAL) inaugurated a new taxiway N9 last week.

MIAL is trying to reduce the runway occupancy time by landing aircraft at CSIA. N9 which is located on the Northwest side of primary runway 09-27 will immensely improve runway efficiency. The location of this taxiway has been aptly designed (located at 2614 metres from the threshold of runway 09-27) to facilitate all wide-body aircraft to vacate the runway after landing with ease.

N9 will also be the first compliant taxiway for Code-F aircraft (such as A-380) at CSIA that requires the width of the taxiway to be 25 metres and shoulders 17.5 metres on each side. Its length is 180 metres. The first flight to utilise this taxiway was British Airways 119 from London.

With the two rapid exit taxiways, the extended parallel taxiway A4 and taxiway N9 in place, runway occupancy time for aircraft landing and taking off, is likely to be reduced considerably.