An aircraft takes off from the Patna airport. Telegraph picture

The Airports Authority of India will soon send a fresh application seeking operating licence for bigger aircraft at the Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport to the director-general of civil aviation.

Since June 30 last year when the civil aviation regulator had held back the operating licence because of obstacles in the landing approach funnel, this would be the fourth such application.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) headquarters in New Delhi will submit a fresh safety report to the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA) for consideration.

A senior AAI officer said: “The DGCA does not seem to be happy with the safety concerns at Patna airport. At a meeting in September, it had expressed dissatisfaction on the safety aspects for operation of bigger aircraft at the airport. The AAI was asked to conduct another safety assessment of the aerodrome and submit the corresponding report. Our headquarters is expected to submit the report to the DGCA in a couple of days.”

To match the safety regulations mandated by DGCA, the AAI is mulling to cover a small drain near the runway to increase the width of the runway strip and also expand the runway end safety area.

Runway strip is a buffer zone on either side of the runway for the aircraft’s safety at the time of take-off or landing.

The runway end safety area is a portion beyond the runway that is prepared to reduce damage to the aircraft in case it overshoots or lands before the touchdown point.

“The required width of the runway strip for operating bigger aircraft like Airbus 320 or Boeing 737-700 is 150m. Though such aircraft operate from the Patna airport, the width of the runway strip is 90m. So, we are contemplating to cover a drain on the western side of the runway. It would allow us to increase the width of the runway strip,” said the AAI officer in Patna.

“Deliberations are also on to shift the security watchtowers along the northern and southern walls to get some space for increasing the length of the runway end safety area,” he added.

Before the DGCA’s meeting, an audit team from the International Civil Aviation Organisation had also raised concerns about regular operations at the airport without an operating licence.

Atul Singh, the executive director of Delhi-based Centre for Aviation, Policy, Safety and Research told The Telegraph: “According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation norms, the minimum length of the runway end safety area for operation of bigger aircraft like Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 is 300m. In case, the length is smaller, the airlines are asked to operate with load penalty. It means the airlines have to bring down the weight of the aircraft by cutting down on the number of passengers. Similar conditions prevail at Patna airport to which airlines protest.”

The DGCA on June 30 last year had held back the issuance of the operating licence for the Patna airport because of 101 obstacles along its landing approach funnel. These obstacles were considered hazardous for flying.