Airport revamp puts fliers' lives at risk

Kolkata: For nearly a fortnight, the crew of international carriers are operating with guesstimates on regulated take-off weight (RTOW), an arithmetic that is crucial for safe takeoff. In the pre-flight schedule, pilots add cargo and passenger weights to the aircraft kerb weight to determine how much fuel it can take on board for a safe takeoff. All aircraft have specified ROTW that the airline needs to adhere to.
Since November 7, though, pilots of international flights have been operating on mere conjecture as the 10-tonne weigh bridge at the cargo terminal terminal is inaccessible to loaders. The road to the weigh bridge has been dug up by Airports Authority of India (AAI) to modernize the import storage space.
Tractors hauling containers and palettes can no longer reach the machine and get their weights checked. Airline officials said this exposed them to risk of overloading and jeopardising the lives of passengers and crew.
While AAI claims the modernisation project is very important and an alternative weighing system has been put in place, those in charge of loading have not been using it, claiming it is not feasible.
Unlike domestic operations, most international airlines carry cargo in regular passenger flights. Though Singapore Airlines has a separate Jumbo to be used as a freighter, the cargo hold in its passenger flights are full almost every day. Airline officials admit they make a visual estimate of the cargo, which is not reliable.
"Unless weighed, we cannot determine whether the cargo loaded exceeds the RTOW. Proper placement of the cargo in the aircraft belly is also hampered. There is a possibility of an aircraft being disbalanced with heavy cargo at either the front or rear end.
"A takeoff with load beyond RTOW is always risky. At present, the aircraft are being loaded on the basis of estimates and we are concerned," said Cargo Facilitation Committee chairman Louis Alphonso.
AAI officials maintained that airlines should use an Elevated Transfer Vehicle (ETV) that has been made available.
23/11/08 Arpit Basu/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Nov 2008, Safety Nov 2008