India's 10 longest runways

The length of its runway is not necessarily a measure of excellence of an airport. However, longer runways -- that is, runways that are 4,000 mt or more long -- can handle practically any kind of large, wide-bodied aircraft, like the Airbus A-380 or the Antonov AN-225.

The length of the runway also depends on the location of the airport: that is, the higher the altitude of the airport, the longer the runway to accommodate large aircraft. A runway at sea level can handle large aircraft even with a length of 3,100 mt.

The world's longest runway is at Qamdo Bangda Airport in Tibet. It is 5,500 mt long. The second longest runway is at Russia's Ramenskoye Airport and it is 5,403 mt long. At 5,000 mt, the Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport in Russia is the third longest. The Embraer Unidade Gaviao Peixoto Airport in Brazil is next with a length of 4,967 mt and South Africa's Upington Airport is the fifth longest in the world, at 4,900 mt. Now check out which are India's longest runways. . .

Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi: 4,430 mt

The Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on August 21 got India's longest runway.

The third runway at IGI will allow the airport to double the number of flights it handles every hour with one flight taking off or landing every minute.

The runway, christened 29/11, has CAT IIIB instrument landing system (ILS) on both Dwarka and Vasant Kunj sides which will allow aircraft to land even when the visibility is as low as 50-metre. Delhi will be the only airport in India to have three runways with CAT IIIB facility on two runways.

The 4,430 metre Code-F complaint runway can handle the wide bodied aircraft like Airbus A-380 and Antonov AN-225.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad: 4,260 mt

The swanky Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, about 30 km from the heart of Hyderabad, has been constructed by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, a public-private joint venture between GMR Group, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, the Andhra Pradesh government, and the Airports Authority of India.

GMR Group holds 63% of the equity, MAHB 11%, while the Andhra Pradesh government, and Airports Authority of India each hold 13%.

The Rs 2,470 crore (Rs 24.70 billion) airport is spread over 5,400 acre of land and has the second longest runway in India. The 76-year-old Begumpet airport has now been shut down.

The 75-metre high air traffic control tower at the airport is also the tallest in India.

A 105,300 sq mt terminal has the capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum. The terminal building has 12 contact and 30 remote stands for aircraft parking. The ultimate master plan is to cater over 40 million passengers per annum.

Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru: 4,120 mt

The Bengaluru International Airport is one of the swankiest airports in India. It also has the third-longest runway in India at 4,120 mt.

The airport can handle 12 million passengers per annum and it can be expanded to accommodate 50 million passengers per year. It has 53 check-in counters, 18 self check-in kiosks and provides for a seamless and single check-in process.

There are 18 shopping outlets and 15 food and beverages stalls in the terminal building. The international departure section houses one of the largest duty-free outlets showcasing leading international brands.

The airport terminal building provides free Wi-Fi access to the laptop users. Apart from baby care facilities for mothers, the three-level building also houses a clinic and a pharmacy run by the Columbia Asia Hospital.

Chennai International Airport, Chennai: 3,658 mt

The Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam near Chennai handles around 11 million passengers annually. It's runway is 3,658 mt long, equipped to handle any aircraft.

Although the airport offers many passenger amenities, work on the further modernisation of the airport by the Airports Authority of India will start soon.

The plan has been cleared by the Public Investment Board and detailed project reports submitted to the government for approval, Patel told the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry.