Choppers’ landing at Bhuntar creates panic

Shimla: The landing of two Indian Air Force military helicopters at the Bhuntar airport in Kullu last night have raised a number of questions with regard to air safety rules as airport officials had no prior intimation of the flight into their air space.
With the airport at Bhuntar not having any night landing facility, the landing of two choppers at the airport for a brief period after 9 pm took everyone by surprise. With the airport being closed at 2 pm no employee was present at the airport in the evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the two choppers halted at the airport for about 20 minutes before taking off again. SP Kullu Jagat Ram said he too got to know that two choppers had landed at the airport but it was the airport officials concerned who were looking into the incident.
Sources said with no night landing facility at Bhuntar even the Indian Army or Air Force choppers have never landed there at night. “The two Air Force military choppers could have been on some secret training mission but we had no intimation as after 2 pm no staff member is present there,” an official said.
21/03/08 The Tribune

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Categories: Airports Mar 2008, Safety Mar 2008