Chennai: With the opening of the secondary runway at Chennai Airport already stuck in limbo over land acquisition issues, further doubts about when it would come into use have been raised after an aviation expert termed its construction “unsafe”.
Echoing concerns of residents of Maxworth Nagar in Kolapakkam regarding the bridge constructed over Adyar River, Captain A Ranganathan, member of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council claimed, “The bridge on Adyar River is not safe for landing and take off of aircraft. It will be a safety, security and an environmental disaster,” as it wasn’t constructed according to safety norms.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had closed the secondary runway in 2009 to extend it over the Adyar River, increasing its length by 1,400 metres to about 3,445 metres. Even two years after construction of the bridge, the runway has not been commissioned as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has not given clearance, citing lack of lighting systems and obstructions on the runway path.
23/04/13 New Indian Express
