Airport to move BMC to remove obstructions on flight path
Bhubaneswar: Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) authorities have again decided to urge Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to cut down three coconut trees on Nilakantheswar Temple premises in Jagamara and remove unauthorised structure that pose a threat to flights on their approach paths towards the airport here.
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A nearby water body also attracts birds posing a similar threat. "The coconut trees and unauthorized structure come along the approach path of flights. We had taken up the issue with civic authorities and now we will make another request to carry out demolition," said BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan.
"During landing and take off, birds that flutter out of the trees, fly close to the aircraft nose, fuselage, windshield, and engine.
This can be dangerous for the aircraft and the flight may crash," an airport officials said.
A team from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found these obstructions unfit to operationalise the instrument landing system (ILS) cat-2 on the runway and hence refused approval. "Until these obstructions are removed, DGCA nod can't be obtained," said Pradhan.
BPIA authorities recently surveyed the area jointly with BMC, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), general administration department, and police.
"Several shops, electricity poles, and shops also lie close to the approach line of runway-14, which infringe upon the approach light and obstacle-free zone (OFZ) of the airport," airport officials said.
BMC commissioner Rajesh Patil said they would soon take steps to cut the trees if they are causing obstructions. "There is a dedicated committee for decisions on taking steps for safety of planes. The airport has let us know about some obstructions.
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We also jointly conducted a survey in which Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) is a party. All stakeholders need to cooperate," he told TOI.
Recently, BPIA operationalised a parallel taxi track (PTT) and rapid exit taxiway (RET). The new twin facilities will enhance the airport's operational efficiency by enabling faster aircraft movement and reducing runway occupancy time. The additions will help minimise flight delays and passenger waiting time by allowing quick aircraft exit from the runway, airport officials said.
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Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
When airlines treat the skies as monopoly, passengers pay in blood
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'It's got a little propeller on the front of it, and it starts spinning like crazy. It works and gives me hydraulics and electric so that I can run the radios, I can lower the landing gear, and I can manoeuvre the airplane safely to a landing.' We will have to wait for the final report to know if the flight had the RAT system or not and was power failure the real reason for the crash. For now, all we know are heart-wrenching fragments. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Clive Kundar perished with their passengers. Vishwakumar Ramesh, seated in 11A, survived by a twist of fate, though his younger brother in 11J did not. In another tragic corner, a doctor's infant son clings to life in an ICU after the fireball consumed their residential block. DNA identification is underway, bodies are being handed over, and prayers offered. But the larger and grimmer question looms: Who will take responsibility for this catastrophe? A culture of silence, not safety: Air India continues to report an alarming number of technical snags. On June 19, AI 388 made an emergency return to Delhi after take-off, due to expired emergency slides and gas canisters. How was such an aircraft cleared for flight? We are told a 'blind check' was done—a cockpit drill where a pilot, eyes closed, locates controls under guidance. But that doesn't explain how expired safety equipment made it onto a passenger aircraft. This is not a pilot memory that is being tested—this is ignoring basic maintenance. Worse still is the information vacuum. There are unconfirmed reports of 29 technical snags in 35 days, yet there is no official statement or denial from either Air India or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Just silence. Aviation experts appear every night on TV, advising patience and reiterating that airplanes are 'systems of systems'—digital engines, hydraulics, computers. They urge us to await the investigation. But why should public trust hinge on the black box, when the entire system has gone dark? The DGCA—the very body mandated to enforce aviation safety—is conveniently hiding behind the pretext of an 'ongoing investigation.' But why isn't it answering the real question even in the aftermath of such a colossal failure: if red flags were raised about Air India's deteriorating safety standards since the Tata takeover, why was the airline allowed to operate unchecked until it cost 270 lives?' Even a semblance of transparency would have helped rebuild public trust. Instead, all we get is cold corporate condolence. A vague assurance that a '360-degree investigation' will cover human error, technical failure, even sabotage. But no one—neither the Union Civil Aviation Minister, nor the DGCA, nor Air India, and neither the owners at the Tata Group—is willing to publicly own up the failure. Crisis management or image management? As usual, PR was quicker to act than protocol. Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran gave ana exclusive, soft-focus interview to a national TV channel, circulated promptly by a PR agency. Every line sounded rehearsed. He was asked where he was when he heard the news. 'I was in my office in Bombay… I rushed to Ahmedabad,' he said, emotionally. He grieved with the victims. He promised a trust fund. He ruled out engine failure, hinted that maintenance schedules were in place. But he wasn't asked the real questions: Why were no aircraft grounded after the crash? Has a complete audit of all Dreamliners been ordered? Why not pause operations, inspect every aircraft, and restore public confidence before another tragedy unfolds? What could have been a moment for transformational leadership appeared to have become a scripted corporate monologue. The opposition: Rhetoric without responsibility: Shockingly, even the opposition has missed the mark. Instead of demanding tough questions from regulators, they're busy seeking a special Parliament session to indulge in hollow sloganeering—yet another performance of fakery and optics, perhaps timed for Bihar's upcoming elections. Where is the concern for aviation safety? Where is the pressure on the Civil Aviation Ministry? When disasters happen, only families grieve. The rest— politicians, bureaucrats, corporate houses—hide behind press releases, compensation packages and vague promises of 'processes being followed.' What they fail to grasp is this: Accountability is not an inconvenience; it is the cornerstone of public safety. Crisis misused is crisis wasted: Air India, under the Tata Group, inherited a mess. It lost over ₹70,000 crore by 2021 and was sold for ₹18,000 crore—₹2,700 crore in cash, the rest in assumed debt. But buying an airline doesn't mean buying immunity. Despite injecting new aircraft and claiming adherence to protocols, the ecosystem remains crippled. 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Where profit outweighs procedure, where regulators hide behind forms, and where tragedies are converted into talking points before disappearing from memory. Airlines must stop treating the skies as their monopoly and passengers as collateral. The government must treat civil aviation safety not as a footnote in a budget document but as a matter of national security. The DGCA must be made autonomous, answerable to a parliamentary body—not to the political bosses or airline owners. After all, transparency is not a courtesy. It is a duty. Until we stop flying blind—in aircraft, in governance, and in ethics—we will remain a country that mourns its citizens in silence but never learns why they died. (The author is former Chief Editor of The Hans India)
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Tackling wildlife hazards, incl bird hits: DGCA calls meeting with airports operators on Monday
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Mint
13 hours ago
- Mint
‘Will not release aircraft, if…': Air India CEO Campbell Wilson assures public of transparency after Ahmedabad tragedy
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Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft - of any type - for service," he added. On June 12, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Assuring the public and Air India employees of continued support and transparency in the aftermath of the AI171 plane crash, the CEO said that the airline and the Tata Group will stand by the families of victims and affected staff long after the immediate crisis subsides. "We continue to mourn for the lives lost in the AI171 tragedy, and to support those who have been affected. Around 500 colleagues from Air India and 17 other Tata companies remain in Ahmedabad to help the families of passengers, crew and those on the ground. Progress is being made, together with the authorities, on reconciling families with their loved ones, and as of this morning more than 200 have received some degree of solace and closure," he said. "We will continue supporting those affected long after the work in Ahmedabad is done for, as our Chairman has said, these families are now Tata families," CEO Wilson added. "This is equally true for those of our colleagues, who we will support in the same way. You may have read social media commentary on the perceived lack of visibility of Air India at the services held for our colleagues. I can assure you that we have had senior representation at each and every one. We are, however, taking care that our presence does not cause disruption at a time so important for families and loved ones, as a matter of respect," he further said. According to the report, the CEO also said that Air India is supporting everyone, including staff who have served in Ahmedabad upon their return to base with a mandatory break and counselling. "The counselling services, which are confidential and provided by professionals, continue to be available to everyone and I encourage you to avail of it," he stated. 'What happened? There are many theories but, as the accident is now under official investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, it is not appropriate for us to comment or speculate. We are providing all information requested by the AAIB and are cooperating completely. It is vital that the facts, whatever they may be, are known so that we and the industry at large can learn from them,' Wilson said. Replying to whether a report would be available, he said, "This is completely up to the AAIB. The final report can take many months, though the AAIB may choose to issue interim updates or reports. If there is any discovery during the investigation that suggests airlines or suppliers need to change something urgently, we have confidence that such information would be shared quickly. For our part, we will be transparent with what is shared with us." 'Yes. We have completed the additional precautionary checks on our operating Boeing 787 fleet as requested by the DGCA, who have publicly declared that they meet required standards. We have also, as a matter of abundant precaution, voluntarily decided to continue additional pre-flight checks for the time being. Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft - of any type - for service,' the CEO said. When asked about the reduction in some flights, Wilson said, "The additional pre-flight checks we are doing reduces the number of hours aircraft are available to operate, which - also considering the extra flight time arising from new airspace closures in the Middle East, on top of the Pakistan closure - is why we have taken the decision to reduce the amount of flying over the coming weeks. We will progressively restore when the time is right." Replying to the impact on Air India's future plans, he said, "This has been a tragic event and we will learn whatever we can from it so that we are stronger in future. However, our aim in every respect, be it safety, quality, service, scale, reach, professionalism or any other dimension, remains the same if not higher than before."
