Patna, Dec. 10: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) appears satisfied with the steps the state has taken to remove obstacles along the aircraft approach funnel at the Patna airport.
The date of re-notification of the length of runways at the airport got five extensions — on August 11, August 27, September 17, October 22 and November 28.
Led by G.P. Hella, general manager (aviation safety), AAI, a six-member internal safety assessment team from its headquarters, New Delhi, reviewed the status of various ongoing work to remove the obstacles at a graveyard and Phulwarisharif station today.
The Patna district administration, with assistance from the AAI, Patna, started pruning 60 trees at the graveyard on the airport’s north-eastern corner two days ago after chief secretary Ashok Kumar Sinha’s intervention.
Work on removing two railway cabins at the airport’s south-western corner started a couple of days ago. East Central Railway is now removing equipment from the cabins before demolishing these.
General manager (aviation safety) Hella told The Telegraph: “We have come here on a routine internal safety assessment of the airport. The team made an exhaustive assessment of various aspects of the airport, including runway safety, fire system, alarm system and apron check among others. Based on our findings, we would submit a report to our (AAI) chairman. He would then assess the report before submitting it with his remarks to the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA).”
An application for issuing the operating licence of Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna, is pending with DGCA.
On June 30, DGCA, the civil aviation regulator had withheld the operating licence for the city airport because of 101 obstacles along the airport’s landing approach funnel, which could be hazardous for flying.
Acting airport director R.N. Sen told The Telegraph: “Obstacles like tall trees at the graveyard and the railway cabins near Phulwarisharif were untouched but they are now being taken care of. We hope that the DGCA acknowledges such positive development while taking a decision on Patna airport.”
