Mangalore crash: All airports to be reviewed

The loss of 158 lives on Saturday when an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 plane crashed in Mangalore has prompted the government to review safety aspects at all airports in the state.
Chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said in Mysore: “Every possible measure will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such accidents at all airports in the state. All aspects related to safety, including the length and breadth of runways, will be reviewed by aviation experts.”

Aviation experts DNA spoke to urged the government to review sites selected for Shimoga, Hassan and Chikmagalur airports since they are in the hilly Malnad region.

The chief minister also announced the government’s decision to acquire more land for the expansion of the runway at Mysore airport to facilitate services by bigger aircraft. Mysore airport now handles only small aircraft such as ATRs.

VS Acharya, home minister, told DNA that well-defined safety protocols were in place in all airports but they would be reviewed. “Appropriate action would be taken if any deficiency was found,” the minister said.

Despite the horrific crash, Acharya described Mangalore airport as ‘very safe.’  “The airport has been in operation for the past 60 years. It cannot be abandoned just because of one fatal accident.

The probe would bring out the causes behind the mishap and until then it would not be fair to pass any judgment,” he said.
Experts, however, beg to differ.

Saturday’s tragedy in Mangalore has raised grave doubts about the safety protocols regarding the length, breadth and the location of the runway, they say.

Leo Saldanha, environmentalist and co-ordinator, Environemnt Support Group (ESG), dismissed the chief minister’s assurance as a mere attempt to assuage the feelings of the people. “If the government is serious, it should order a commission of inquiry. The mad rush to build airports anywhere and everywhere should end. An independent and objective study should be conducted on safety aspects in all the airports but not by bureaucrats who file favourable reports,” Saldanha said.

The Mangalore air crash also raises questions about the safety of Mysore airport since it is located close to Chamundi Hills.
In 2005, a group of citizens had raised objections about the location of the airport that has come up at Mandakalli, about 12km away from the city, on Nanjangud road. The airport was inaugurated only two weeks ago.

M Lakshman, former member of Mysore Agenda Task Force and a civil engineer with experience in the construction of airports, said: “We had submitted a memorandum to the then chief minister Dharam Singh and the Civil Aviation Ministry before they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Mysore airport in 2005. But the objection was ignored to convert the existing airstrip to a full fledged airport. The airport’s proximity to Chamundi Hills is a cause for worry and it will be felt if the airport has to be expanded in future.”

Chamundi Hills is only 1,500 metres away from the airport. There are five to six water bodies close to the airport which have the potential to mislead pilots due to the mirage effect, Lakshman added.

Recalling his experience in the construction of the Chennai airport, Lakshman said, it had encountered a situation similar to Mysore as the proposed site was close to St Thomas Mount. “Following the concerns expressed by experts, the airport was shifted six km away from the hill. Similar action should have been taken in the case of Mysore airport too.”

Bilikere, on Mysore-Hunsur Road, would have been an ideal location, he added.

Lakshman wants the government to review the sites selected for Shimoga, Hassan and Chikmagalur as they are in the hilly Malnad region.

He has also suggested longer runways at all these places by since the region receives heavy rainfall and poor visibility during winter and monsoon.