Lucknow, April 29 -- In a major boost to aviation infrastructure, the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) has operationalised its long-awaited parallel taxiway after receiving clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, enhancing the airport's ability to handle flight traffic and reduce delays. The parallel taxiway, which became operational on Monday night, marks a crucial upgrade for the airport that has so far been operating with a single taxiway. With the new system in place, aircraft can now move to and from the runway more efficiently, enabling simultaneous landing and take-off operations and reducing runway occupancy time. "Earlier, aircraft often had to wait for clearance due to limited taxiway availability. With the parallel taxiway now functional, movement will be smoother, and delays-especially during peak hours-will reduce significantly," an official said. One of the immediate benefits for passengers will be the reduction in holding patterns, where aircraft are forced to circle mid-air due to congestion on the ground. Such situations were common during high-traffic periods or when flights were diverted from nearby airports like Varanasi, Delhi or Kathmandu due to weather or technical issues. Parking infrastructure too has undergone expansion. From April 27, five new stand aprons have been made operational, increasing the aircraft parking capacity at the airport from 15 to 20 at a time. These aprons are used for boarding, deboarding, refuelling and maintenance of aircraft. The increased capacity is expected to further streamline operations and accommodate more flights without delays. Currently, around 120 flights operate daily at Lucknow airport, with nearly 18,000 passengers travelling through it every day. Approximately 95% of these flights are domestic, with the highest traffic observed in the morning (6 am to 9 am) and evening (4 pm to 11 pm). Routes to major cities like Delhi and Mumbai account for a significant share of this traffic. Officials said the improvements are in line with future growth projections, as passenger traffic at the airport is expected to increase by 20-25% annually. To support this growth, work is already underway to expand Terminal 3 and develop additional infrastructure, including four more MARS (Multiple Aircraft Ramp System) aprons, which are expected to become operational soon....