As India's domestic air passenger traffic continues its double-digit growth, the one big question that surrounds Juhu airport is whether it can play a supporting role and take some burden off the lone, congested Mumbai airport?
Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are divided on the issue. Top officials in the AAI headquarters in Delhi believe Juhu airport can be developed to decongest, to some extent, the Mumbai airport.After the private consultancy firm submitted a report that wasn't technically sound, AAI appointed another firm, this time for an indepth study on how best to use the Juhu airport.
But Mumbai air traffic controllers say the only solution is construction of the Navi Mumbai airport. "AAI pays crores to consultants who haven't told us anything that we don't already know. The first consultancy firm they hired over six years ago didn't even have a technical expert and they submitted a poor report.Why was that firm hired? It's a racket that needs investigation," said Mangala Narasimhan, AAI deputy general manager, aviation safety.
Senior air traffic controllers explained the technical problems that make the Juhu plan financially unfeasible. The plan is to extend the Juhu main runway into the Arabian Sea on stilts to make it long enough to accommodate ATR aircraft (Jet Airways and Air India together have about 35 ATRs). Currently , only small aircraft and helicopters operate out of Juhu. "If the runway is extended to 1,700 m, then the threshold will need to be displaced by 1100m. So effective landing length available won't be enough for ATRs (see graphic)," said Mangala.
23/01/17 Manju V/The Times Of India
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Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are divided on the issue. Top officials in the AAI headquarters in Delhi believe Juhu airport can be developed to decongest, to some extent, the Mumbai airport.After the private consultancy firm submitted a report that wasn't technically sound, AAI appointed another firm, this time for an indepth study on how best to use the Juhu airport.
But Mumbai air traffic controllers say the only solution is construction of the Navi Mumbai airport. "AAI pays crores to consultants who haven't told us anything that we don't already know. The first consultancy firm they hired over six years ago didn't even have a technical expert and they submitted a poor report.Why was that firm hired? It's a racket that needs investigation," said Mangala Narasimhan, AAI deputy general manager, aviation safety.
Senior air traffic controllers explained the technical problems that make the Juhu plan financially unfeasible. The plan is to extend the Juhu main runway into the Arabian Sea on stilts to make it long enough to accommodate ATR aircraft (Jet Airways and Air India together have about 35 ATRs). Currently , only small aircraft and helicopters operate out of Juhu. "If the runway is extended to 1,700 m, then the threshold will need to be displaced by 1100m. So effective landing length available won't be enough for ATRs (see graphic)," said Mangala.
23/01/17 Manju V/The Times Of India
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