Silchar airport

Nov. 3: One of the busiest airports in the Northeast, Kumbhirgram in Silchar has not been able to start night operations though all the necessary devices have been installed.

A Rs 5-crore light arrangement was put in place about six months ago but the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has not yet given its nod to night landing and take-off from this 67-year-old aerodrome. Kumbhirgram handles the highest number of passengers after Guwahati, Imphal and Agartala airports.

The Instrument Landing System, part II, imported from Germany at the cost of Rs 30 crore and installed at both ends of the 7,500-foot runway, is also lying unused.

Neither the defence ministry nor the AAI of India — a wing of the Union civil aviation ministry — seem to be in a mood to give night operations the green signal.

“Perhaps the authorities are awaiting the green signal from the VVIPs who are now being wooed by the AAI for the gala inauguration of these two devices,” a official of Silchar airport said.

Despite the state-of-the-art apparatus, Silchar airport has to suspend operations after every shower and wait for the sun to appear, with frustrated passengers counting minutes in the lounge.

On October 12, however, a few Guwahati-bound passengers had a lucky take-off after 6.30pm when the 22 squadron of the IAF switched on the runway lights, enabling the ATR aircraft to take off.

A few days later, however, an Air India Airbus 320 carrying 122 passengers failed to take off since it was too dark .

Interestingly, on July 21, civil aviation minister Praful Patel replied to a question by Assam Rajya Sabha MP S. Condopan saying night landing facilities were in place at Silchar airport. The fact, however, is that the apparatus is lying unused, thanks to an unexplained procrastination.

The construction of Silchar airport, in fact, began after a long delay in 2002 after the land acquisition team hit a hurdle with a 33-acre plot from an adjacent tea garden belonging to Goodricke Ltd.

Over 2.3 lakh passengers now fly in and out of this airport from Silchar a year, making it as one of the busiest airport in the region.