Mumbai: Bigger aircraft like Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 will continue to operate from Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna beyond November 30, 2012 till further orders, as per a TOI report. Yesterday, the airport authorities received a new order from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), allowing the existing runway length to be used till the AAI sets a new deadline.
Earlier, the AAI had issued orders for reducing the runway's length in view of obstructions in the vicinity of the airport and called for removing the same on a priority basis. Implementation of this order was deferred a couple of times, with the latest deadline being set to expire on November 30. Reduction of the runway length would have made the airport unfit for operation of wide-bodied jets.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier asked the AAI to get the minimum safety requirements fulfilled for operating the airport. “The revised runway length was to be implemented from November 30, which has been deferred for the time being,” said Arvind Dubey, Director, Patna Airport.
29/11/12 TravelBizMonitor
