Flights could have been diverted

New Delhi: The hijack drama at the IGI Airport on Sunday evening saw ripple effects at all other airports in the country. The airport was virtually closed for almost two hours as security agencies took over the airside to secure the area and several departures were held up as passengers were either not able to board or had to sit inside the aircraft till they were cleared for take-off.
Experts, while they commended the agencies concerned for the well-managed crisis situation, questioned the very decision to have the flight land at one of the busiest airports in the city when it was under threat of being blown up. "Had the threats been real and if the aircraft was really blown up, it would have caused major damage. It might have been more prudent to land the aircraft at a smaller airport where damage to life and property could have been minimal,'' said experts.
Once the IndiGo aircraft landed in Delhi at 5.30 pm, NSG and CISF personnel acted swiftly and spread themselves at the airside, blocking off all approach routes. This meant that there was absolutely no vehicular movement, including of transfer coaches, baggage trolleys or step-ladders. Consequently, neither boarding not disembarking was possible. Sources at the airport revealed that such an arrangement was in place till 7.15 pm, till the time a clearer picture emerged of what actually was happening within the aircraft.
After 7.15 pm, restrictions were in place only around the isolation bay, affecting the satellite apron that is very close to the area. "These restrictions were also lifted by 8 pm. Such measures were required in a situation of a possible hijack. The area had to be secured against any outside threat while the other parts of the airport too had to be secured against any possible threat from the aircraft. Once the picture became clearer, the restrictions were lifted,'' said senior government officials.
The isolation bay is located close to runway 27 the secondary runway. After the flight landed on the main runway, it was taken to this place. Closest to this bay is the satellite apron, located next to taxiway E that runs parallel to the secondary runway. Flights that were parked here were not able to move out till the crisis was sorted out.
Meanwhile, as passengers kept pouring into the departure terminal and no boarding was taking place, the terminals were stuffed beyond capacity. ".. Boarding was stopped for a good two hours and there was absolute chaos inside the terminal....,'' said sources within the airport.
03/02/09 Neha Lalchandani/Times of india

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Categories: Airports Feb 2009, Indigo Airlines Feb 2009, Safety Feb 2009