Peel-off peril on Calcutta Airport runway

The main runway of the airport has become more prone to damage after a Rs 10-crore revamp three years ago. The surface is peeling off with increased frequency, posing a threat to aircraft during touchdown and take off.
Last month, a 16-sq ft chunk of the runway peeled off, forcing its closure for three hours. A Jet Airways flight was about to land when the damage was detected. In November, a 10ftx4ft strip of the runway came off when an aircraft made a sharp turn towards the taxiing bay.
“The runway surface is mostly getting damaged in the touchdown zone, which can be dangerous,” said an airport official.
The runway surface seldom peeled off before the last revamp. “Since the resurfacing, such incidents have gone up alarmingly.”
A company undertook the resurfacing to maintain the load-bearing capacity of the runway. The process involves digging up and overhauling of the surface and several layers below it. The maintenance is performed every five to six years.
There could be a number of factors behind the increase in runway peel-off incidents. The aircraft often take a sharp turn on the runway, causing damage to the surface.
Use of low-quality bitumen for resurfacing could be another reason. Cheap material cannot withstand heavy rain and gets washed away.
30/07/07 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Jul 2007, Safety Jul 2007