IAF asks AAI to relocate ILS at Srinagar

Srinagar: After months of discord over the commissioning of the Instrumentation Landing System, worth Rs 2 crore, the two agencies manning Srinagar International Airpor are likely to face-off over another issue - the runway expansion by IAF.
Informed sources said the IAF is contemplating expansion of the runway on both sides, much to the annoyance of the AAI, which has described the move as “unwanted.” In a letter to Srinagar-based AAI director, the IAF commanding officer has sought “relocation” of the AAI-installed ILS Azimuth Antenna as the IAF was contemplating extension work on the runway by 300 meters on both sides, named as A-31 and A-13.
“The ILS Azimuth Antenna at 13 threshold installed by the AAI would be requested to be relocated at the end that is100 meters ahead,” the letter, according to sources, reads. The AAI, however, believes the runway expansion was not needed. “As of now, we have sufficient space to host all kinds of civil aircrafts, including the Boeing-747. We have a runway length of over 12,000 sq ft and that is sufficient for any kind of civil aircraft. So we are taking up the runway expansion matter with the higher-ups and see what happens,” said the director, AAI, O S Tyagi, refusing to divulge any more information.
17/05/10 Faheem Aslam/Greater Kashmir

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Categories: Airports May 2010