In June last year, the AAI along with Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had ordered a final joint resurvey to be done of the illegal buildings that fall in the air funnel area.
Over 40 residential buildings located near the Surat airport runway will now be under the radar of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The high-rise buildings found to be posing a threat to the aircraft approach area after the resurvey, ordered in 2018, have been slammed notices by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to dismantle the excess floors as per the report on their own.
In June last year, the AAI along with Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had ordered a final joint resurvey to be done of the illegal buildings that fall in the air funnel area. Air funnel area is the controlled airspace around an airport where high rise buildings are banned for the safety of the aircrafts.
While a total of 30 buildings were resurveyed in first phase, 18 were resurveyed in second phase of which only few were clear.
Guruprasad Mohapatra, chairman, AAI said, "Buildings having an excess height were given notices to dismantle the offensive portion, but so far not many have complied. So now we will be sending a detailed report of buildings, violations, survey, resurvey findings, details of notices to dismantle on their own to the DGCA. Once they declare it illegal, then there is no other choice."
Sanjay Panigrahi, Surat airport director said, "The resurvey was done in two phases. Those found violating have been served notices and they have filed their replies. Their reply now needs consideration. When they built their houses, rules were different and over the years rules have changed. It is an eight year old case and needs lot of analysis. Those buildings coming in way of the aircrafts have only 1-2 floors that they need to demolish. While we understand their concerns of buying a house investing life-time savings, even we are helpless."
In no way we want to arrive at a conclusion in hurry. Hence, after analysis we will now be sending a report with our comments and observation to the DGCA who will pass final orders", he said.
It is only in February this year, that Surat airport had its first international direct flight commencing. Panigrahi added, "Right now the flights do not have any issue in landing or taking off, but in future, flight connectivity to London, Europe and other destinations will be a challenge as the aircraft need bigger space to land. Also, the runway length in Surat is not very long hence we need to remove obstacles. Either they are illegal construction or some have got wrong coordinates, Mohapatra had said.
Surat Airport
- It is operating on a temporary threshold area that gives an aircraft clearance over an obstruction, while still allowing departing aircraft the maximum amount of runway available.
- However, it cannot be a permanent solution like in Delhi airport.
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