Ranchi: A bizarre rule being enforced by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at Birsa Munda Airport has meant the Dhruv armoured chopper provided by the Union home ministry for anti-insurgency operations has to take-off and land twice within the airport every time it’s pressed into service, resulting in waste of valuable time and fuel.
Since July 2010, the air traffic control (ATC) has not allowed the chopper, which is under Border Security Force (BSF) command and is used by CRPF and the state police during exigencies, either to take off from or land at the remote apron, its parking bay.
Whenever it has to take off, the helicopter first does so from the remote apron, only to land at the main apron. Then it takes off from the main apron for its final destination.
While landing, it first touches down at the main apron, then takes off again and lands at the remote apron, located about a kilometre away. The entire exercise within the airport needs 300 litres of fuel.
“This is a time and money consuming exercise. We have requested the local ATC and Airport Authority of India to allow us to take off from and land at the remote apron, but no one is listening,” said a BSF officer responsible for managing the chopper.
According to Airport Authority of India officials, they were merely following DGCA directives. “We have asked BSF and CRPF to get an approval from the DGCA. If DGCA permits, we have no problem in allowing take off and landing at the remote apron,” said Raju Raghvendra Kumar, airport controller in Birsa Munda Airport.
11/05/11 Amit Gupta/The Telegraph
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