AIIMS heliport may not take off after all

A proposed heliport linking the All-India Institute of Medical Science (Aiims) to the rest of the country has run into rough weather.

The heliport, probably nation’s first at a government hospital, comes in the flight approach path of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s runway, which makes it dangerous for incoming traffic.

“The location of the heliport is the problem. Without changing the location, it cannot start functioning,” a senior government official said.

The heliport is about 4.5 nautical miles from IGI. “Any chopper flying in this airspace will need to remain at a height of at least 1,500 feet, which is not safe when aircraft are landing at IGI,” the official said.

DGCA rules state that helicopters must fly at 5,000 metres. “Choppers follow the visual flight rule that doesn’t require direct involvement of the air traffic control tower. But in case of Aiims, DGCA has to lower the flying height to 1,000 feet. Without this, it won’t be possible to operate the heliport,” the official said.

But lowering flying height alone won’t be sufficient. There are other problems too. “The heliport will inevitably overcrowd Delhi airspace,” the official said.

“In the present security scenario, it is not wise to change rules to overcrowd air space,” the official said.