Mangalore airport’s expired licence angers high court

The Karnataka high court on Tuesday sought to know the status of licence renewal of the Bajpe International Airport near Mangalore in a petition challenging the functioning of some airports in the country without valid licences. The Mangalore airport is functioning even after its licence expired on June 15 this year.

A division bench headed by justice DV Shylendra Kumar directed the counsel for the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to furnish the information on the licence renewal status, on Thursday. It wanted to know what stage was the application in.

The court wondered how the Mangalore airport could be permitted to operate without a licence as the issue involved risking hundreds of lives. Pointing out that granting of licences followed proper inspection, the court said that the airport should be closed till the permit was granted.

Referring to the recent Air India plane crash on May 22, the high court wondered what would have happened if the mishap had occurred after the licence had lapsed as it would have complicated issues like compensation to the victims in the accident.

The court questioned what steps the AAI had taken after the Mangalore airport’s licence lapsed. The AAI counsel submitted that an application had been filed for the renewal of the licence.
Questioning AAI as to why it had not closed down the airport immediately after its licence lapsed, the court asked under which authority was the airport operating.

The petitioner, advocate  GR Mohan, has contended several airports in the country were functioning without any licence. Pointing out that the AAI had to seek renewal of licence from the directorate-general of civil aviation, the petitioner has said that in the absence of valid licence, no flights could land or take off from the airport.

Stating that the air crash at Bajpe happened 15 days prior to the lapse of the licence, the petitioner has said that any such mishap after the lapse of licence would mean that insurance claims of victims would go unheeded as the claims would not be valid. The petitioner has also sought for the setting up of an air crash victims’ claims tribunal.