For tough airfields, follow set rules

Chandigarh: The crash of an Air India aircraft while landing at the “table-top” Mangalore airport located atop a hill has focused attention on other airfields where operations are relatively difficult.
While a large number of such airfields, referred to as “critical” in aviation parlance, exist across India, there are three in this region, at Leh, Shimla and Kullu. Conducting flights from these places is more challenging on account of topography, size and climatic conditions. Though tricky, operations to these fields need not be dangerous as it is a matter of sticking to the book.
Shimla is a classic example of a table-top airfield in the region, with a runway length of just about 4,000 feet and steep falls into the valley on either end. On the other hand, Kullu is located in a deep valley with the Beas meandering close to both ends of its 5,000-foot-long runway. Both these airstrips cater to light aircraft only and operations are possible only during good weather.
While Leh has a long runway of over 10,000 feet catering to heavy aircraft like Boeings and IL-76, it is a unidirectional airfield where landing and take-off is possible only from one direction. The approach is extremely tricky, as aircraft have to descend between high mountains into the Indus valley and approach the runway between mountains on the left and a hillock with a monastery atop it on the right. Dead ahead of the flight path are mountains again.
Srinagar is also a table-top airport, but its 12,000-foot-long runway and large distance from surrounding hills give aircraft a wide safety margin. Similarly, the Gaggal airstrip in Kangra, though short with just 3,900 feet of tarmac for small aircraft to land on, is not unduly affected by mountains.
Guidelines on operating parameters are laid down by the Directorate-General Civil Aviation. Airlines have their own policy rules on operating parameters, though they all need to fall within the DGCA rules.
30/05/10 Vijay Mohan/The Tribune

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Categories: Airports May 2010, Safety May 2010