The Chandigarh International Airport will remain closed for two weeks, from February 12 to 26 , due to ongoing runway upgrade work. No flight will operate during this period affecting an average of 4,000 passengers a day.

Deepesh Joshi, an official spokesperson said that the announcement for airport’s closure was made in December 2017, allowing passengers enough time to adjust their travel plans. He said that the operation will resume from February 27.

The runway is being upgraded to increase its length from 9,000 feet to 10,400 feet to enable operation of wide-bodied aircraft, that will enable air carriers to connect the city with destinations in Europe, US and Australia. 

With suspension of air traffic here, passengers are expected to fly from Delhi, or switch to trains, buses and taxis.

Most of the air travellers had shifted to Indira Gandhi International (IGI)?Airport in the capital, as it had more flight options for both domestic and international destinations.

Private taxi owners seeks to make more business due to the closure of the airport. A spokesperson for Ola, a mobile app-based taxi service, that provides inter-state taxi service, said they had not increased the charges so far, as Chandigarh-Delhi was the most-taken route.

Vineet Verma, a frequent traveller from Chandigarh, who runs an event management firm, said the airport closure will lead to harassment of passengers, as private taxi operators will charge them more due to increase in demand.