Aviation secy worried over bad condition of Nagpur airport runway

Nagpur: Some weeks ago, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's ( DGCA) had warned Nagpur airport officials to immediately resurface the 3,200-meter runway at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport. A few days ago, civil aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi too asked Mihan India Ltd (MIL), the city airport operator, to ensure that all issues related to airport safety are taken care, including runway resurfacing and checking intrusion of stray animals in the operational area.
Zaidi was on a daylong tour to the city airport on January 14, especially to inspect the new Indra-ATC automation system installed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) here. The latest equipment developed by Spanish information technology and defence systems company is part of AAI's ongoing project to upgrade air traffic management systems across 38 airports in the country.
However, Zaidi also took time and inspected the airport runway and operational area. TOI has been highlighting MIL's negligence in maintaining and resurfacing the runway.
A 300-400 metre patch of the runway, where aircraft land or brake hard, has been completely damaged and poses a potential threat to aircraft. At least 30 aircraft including Boeing 737, Airbus, ATR and Cessna land on this runway each day.
Though airport officials are tight-lipped over Zaidi's visit, and described it as confidential, sources at the airport said Nasim Zaidi specifically asked MIL not to turn a blind eye towards the pathetic condition of the runway.
21/01/12 Sachin Dravekar/Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: airports Jan 2012, Safety Jan 2012