Guwahati: The Meghalaya high court has sought an explanation from several airline operators for trying to mislead the court with “false” reasons to stay away from operating flights to and from Umroi airport in Meghalaya, which would have increased direct connectivity between Shillong and metro cities of the country.
The court took up a suo motu case in 2015 on the basis of the report about undue hardship and inconvenience to the populace of Meghalaya, which, the court said, “till date in 21st century are still deprived of regular airport services for want of proper functioning of Umroi airport established in the year 1960 despite expansion having been done in the year 2009.”
In an order in May, 2016 the court observed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) “was not keen to complete the project (expansion and upgrading) at the earliest” and it said that that “if AAI continues with its avoidance, the option of handing over the project of expansion of airport at Umroi to a responsible authority/agency/department shall have to be examined.” In 2018, AAI and the state government submitted before the court that it has reached a point for asking the airline companies to start their operation.
In December last year, Go Airlines, Jet Airways, Vistara and Indigo submitted before court that they have to do their own survey and that they would take a decision on operating their flights thereafter. The court, at this point, had observed, “It appears that they have taken the matter very lightly and not bothered to advance the public cause.”
The two-member bench of chief justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and justice SR Sen on Friday noted that Inter Globe Aviation Limited, who operate the airline Indigo, has highlighted that Indigo has AIR 72-600 aircraft whereas, Umroi Airport, Shillong has only two parking stand which are compatible only for ATR 42 aircrafts and not for AIR 72-600 aircraft.
“The second objection is that visibility at the airport is 5000 metres or more, landing and taking-off could take place only at day time. The third objection is that even though Instrument Landing Procedure has been published with higher minima of 5000 meters and not less, which is designed for visual circling and could not be used by airline for landing,” the court noted.
17/02/19 Prabin Kalita/Times of India
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
The court took up a suo motu case in 2015 on the basis of the report about undue hardship and inconvenience to the populace of Meghalaya, which, the court said, “till date in 21st century are still deprived of regular airport services for want of proper functioning of Umroi airport established in the year 1960 despite expansion having been done in the year 2009.”
In an order in May, 2016 the court observed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) “was not keen to complete the project (expansion and upgrading) at the earliest” and it said that that “if AAI continues with its avoidance, the option of handing over the project of expansion of airport at Umroi to a responsible authority/agency/department shall have to be examined.” In 2018, AAI and the state government submitted before the court that it has reached a point for asking the airline companies to start their operation.
In December last year, Go Airlines, Jet Airways, Vistara and Indigo submitted before court that they have to do their own survey and that they would take a decision on operating their flights thereafter. The court, at this point, had observed, “It appears that they have taken the matter very lightly and not bothered to advance the public cause.”
The two-member bench of chief justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and justice SR Sen on Friday noted that Inter Globe Aviation Limited, who operate the airline Indigo, has highlighted that Indigo has AIR 72-600 aircraft whereas, Umroi Airport, Shillong has only two parking stand which are compatible only for ATR 42 aircrafts and not for AIR 72-600 aircraft.
“The second objection is that visibility at the airport is 5000 metres or more, landing and taking-off could take place only at day time. The third objection is that even though Instrument Landing Procedure has been published with higher minima of 5000 meters and not less, which is designed for visual circling and could not be used by airline for landing,” the court noted.
17/02/19 Prabin Kalita/Times of India
0 comments:
Post a Comment