Post-crash, work on Bajpe runway to be accelerated

Bengaluru: The ministry of civil aviation will accelerate work on extension of the runway at Bajpe airport by 1,000 feet in view of widespread criticism about its length particularly after the crash of Air India Express jet which claimed 158 lives on May 22.
According to official sources, extension of the runway was approved sometime ago but work did not commence due to red tape. In fact, a runway measuring 9,000 feet was proposed during its construction in 2002 itself but the authorities completed one measuring 8,000 feet. Exactly a week before the crash, minister for civil aviation Praful Patel had assured that it would be lengthened by 1,000 feet while speaking at the inaugural of a new airport terminal at Kenjar.
The sources said such an extension of the runway will increase its length from 8,000 feet to 9,000 feet. At the end of the runway there will be a sand trap of about 250 meters. Work on lengthening the runway will commence shortly as the authorities have already acquired land for the project. “We have land for 1,000 feet runway in our control, but since it is a table-top runway extending it more than 1,000 feet may be difficult as we have to acquire land and fill the other side which may be expensive,” Peter Abraham, director, Mangalore Airport, told Deccan Chronicle.
01/06/10 Deccan Chronicle

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Categories: Airports Jun 2010, Safety Jun 2010