Sought entire runway, airport didn’t respond, allege airlines

Mumbai: Under the scanner for operating flights on a wet, shortened runway on Tuesdays, domestic airlines say they had asked airport authorities to make the entire runway available but got no response.
On Tuesdays, a six-hour closure of the intersection shortens the runway. The regulatory aviation body has prohibited its use when conditions are wet, hauled up airlines for violating the rule, and brought Air India, Kingfisher and Go Air under scrutiny.
Airline officials told Newsline that at a runway-safety meeting called by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) last Friday to discuss future runway closures, officials from major carriers had raised their issues. A spokesperson for MIAL, however, denied that any meeting was held with airline officials that day to discuss future operations.
On Monday, after rain had been forecast for the following day, airline officials say they made calls till 11.30 pm asking MIAL officials to make the entire runway available, and took up the matter again on Tuesday morning. They got no response, they alleged. An MIAL official said the airlines are trying to save face.
At 6.40 pm on Monday, the DGCA issued a circular, G0128, but made no mention of operations on the shortened runway in wet conditions. A ‘G’ category NOTAM essentially contains information that affects an aircraft's operations in general.
13/11/09 Shashank Shekhar/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Nov 2009, Safety Nov 2009