Dead jackal on runway delays flights

New Delhi: At a time when the Ministry of Civil Aviation is observing the Air Safety Week, a major disaster was averted at the IGI airport on Tuesday night after the body of a jackal was found on the primary runway.
According to airport sources, operations on the main runway had to be suspended for 25 minutes after a landing aircraft reported that the remains of a jackal were lying on the runway. Officials said that the pilot of a Jet Airways flight that landed at 9.33 pm informed the air traffic control (ATC) immediately on landing that it had spotted a jackal on the Dwarka side of the main runway. The runway was closed with immediate effect for cleaning up.
The incident took place during peak hours and non-availability of the main runway for landing caused major upsetting of flight schedules. The jackal was probably killed by an Indigo aircraft that had landed about 9.30 pm.
Pilots have been complaining frequently that the runway at Delhi is often used like an ordinary road where people and vehicles keep crossing at will.
The responsibility of keeping the airside clear of animals rests with the Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL). Officials said that they had taken precautions to prevent entry of animals onto the airside but did not know how this particular jackal got in.
13/12/07 Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2007, Indigo Airlines Dec 2007, Safety Dec 2007