Monday, January 02, 2012

Airport runway awaits surfacing despite Directorate General of Civil Aviation directions

NAGPUR: While issuing provisional licence to Mihan India Ltd (MIL), operator company of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had warned it to immediately recarpet its 3,200-meter runway. DGCA had also asked MIL to ensure that all issues related to airport safety are taken care of by July 30, 2012. However, authorities have turned a blind eye towards the pathetic condition of the runway and the DGCA directions.

Sources at the airport said the 3,200-meter runway at Nagpur airport was last resurfaced eight years back, in 2004. Before that, the then operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) had resurfaced it in 1995.

The damaged runway has not forced any unscheduled closure of the airport yet, but pilots have frequently complained about the runway condition. Pilots have not complained officially but lodged verbal complaints about the pathetic condition of the runway and possibility of a mishap, sources said.

MIL officials agree in private that due to increase in air traffic from the city airport, the existing runway requires immediate resurfacing. But officially, they cannot admit that the runway has been damaged totally.

A senior MIL official said on condition of anonymity, "Almost Rs 25 crore is needed to recarpet the runway. The city airport is already suffering heavy losses, so getting funds has become a difficult task for the company. Estimates for the work are ready, lack of funds is preventing publication of tender."

TOI has been highlighting MIL's negligence in the bad condition of the runway. A 3-400 metre patch of the runway, where aircraft land or brake hard, has been completely damaged and poses a potential threat to aircraft. At least 30 aircraft including Boeing 737, Airbus, ATR, Cessna and Air Force's IL-76 cargo planes (Gajraj) land on this runway each day.

MIL COO Abadesh Prasad said MIL has removed most of the discrepancies regarding infrastructure and functioning of Nagpur airport pointed out by the DGCA inspection panel. Though it is not a permanent licence, DGCA has issued it for one year and that too with several riders, like completion of recarpeting work of main runway and levelling both sides of runway up to 150 metres to avoid skidding of aircraft, he added.

On the directions of DGCA, MIL has recently completed second phase of resurfacing of old apron of 64,000 sq metre and soon will take up work of two existing taxiways 'Alpha' and 'Bravo' spread over approximately 18,500 sq metres. During resurfacing work of apron, aircrafts are parked at newly developed bays.

The airport now has capacity to park 18 widebody aircraft. Of these, seven parking bays are normally reserved for scheduled flights and were resurfaced first. The remaining 11 bays will be made available for aircraft parking, emergencies and chartered aircrafts during construction work, Prasad said.

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