Mangalore Airport Runway Violated International Safety Norms

Strategic Insights -

The Mangalore airport runway where an Air India Express aircraft crashed on May 22 was found to have violated International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) norms by not adhering to international standards of airport design. According to two environmental groups, the runway's 90-metre safety area was inadequate, and it did not meet the ICAO's prescribed standards for providing a minimum area for a stopway and clearway. This deficiency, the groups claimed, increased the risk of passenger safety.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Mangalore airport runway, where the Air India Express aircraft crashed, violated ICAO norms by not adhering to international standards of airport design.
  • The runway's safety area of 90 metres was inadequate according to ICAO guidelines, which prescribe a width of 150 metres on either side of the central line of the runway.
  • The Mangalore airport expansion was opposed by local environmental groups through two PILs in 1997 and 2002, but their warnings were ignored.
  • The Environmental Support Group and the Local Communities Alliance Against Airport Expansion had cited ICAO documents to argue against the construction of the runway, citing inadequate safety standards.
  • The Karnataka High Court dismissed both petitions and the Supreme Court in 2003 ruled that it saw no reason to interfere with the high court order.
  • The environmental groups wrote to the Airports Authority of India in 2004, warning that the construction of the new runway would "jeopardise passenger safety (and) put local communities at risk," but received no response.
  • The Civil Aviation Secretary stated that the airstrip met all standards stipulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, despite the violations cited by the environmental groups.
  • The Air India pilot, who requested anonymity, suggested that an aircraft might overshoot a runway due to various reasons, including high speed at touchdown, brake failure or late touchdown.

Statistics:

  • The Air India Express aircraft flew into a valley beyond the runway, which had a safety area of 90 metres.
  • The Mangalore airport runway was 2,450 metres long and 200 metres wide, compared to the prescribed 150-metre width on either side of the central line of the runway.
  • More than 32,000 problem-free landings were reported on the airstrip since it was made operational in 2006, according to the Civil Aviation Secretary.

Sources:

  • The Mangalore airport runway where the Air India Express aircraft touched down this morning before tumbling into a forested valley violated norms prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
  • Environmental groups like the Local Communities Alliance Against Airport Expansion and the Environmental Support Group claimed that the Mangalore runway had not conformed to international standards of airport design.
  • The Airports Authority of India was warned by the environmental groups in 2004 that the construction of the new runway would "jeopardise passenger safety (and) put local communities at risk."
  • The Karnataka High Court dismissed both petitions and the Supreme Court in 2003 ruled that it saw no reason to interfere with the high court order.
  • The Civil Aviation Secretary stated that the airstrip met all standards stipulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.