Private jets too close to runway and violate prescribed safety norms, airport bosses tell leading corporate honchos
Private jets too close to runway and violate prescribed safety norms, airport bosses tell leading corporate honchos
The Maharashtra government and some of India's leading corporate honchos like the Tatas and Ambanis seem to have got too close for comfort at the Mumbai airport and could soon be left with no parking space for their jets. After being warned several times for parking aircraft very close to the runway, these companies have now been served eviction notices especially since all their hangar leases have also ended.
In early April, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pulled up private and corporate jet owners for violating International Civil Aviation Organisation norms. "These aircraft were found to be close to the operational runway, violating the prescribed safety norms," said Kanu Gohain, director general, DGCA.
Breaking rules
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SPACE CRUNCH: In early April, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation served eviction notices on firms that have hangars at the Mumbai airport because their lease had expired. FILE PIC |
Apart from parking their jets in close proximity to the runway (perpendicular to it), these jets also followed a wrong method of moving before take-off. "Since the aircraft were parked perpendicular to the runway, it meant risking the possibility of a jet blast directed towards the runway," a pilot with a private charter company said.
(Jet blast is the phenomenon of rapid air movement produced by jet engines during take-off which can endanger lives.)
Losing ground Corporates who will be left hunting for a new parking bay for their jets include Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Tata, Essar, Raymond, Anil Ambani's ADAG as well as clients of maintenance, repair and overhaul firms like Air Works India Engineering Ltd and Indamer Ltd. "We have served eviction notices on the firms that have hangars at the Mumbai airport as their leases have already expired. We are going to talk to them to sort out the issues," said Sanjay Reddy, managing director, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL).u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Moving to Juhu?MIAL officials informed that the jets would have to shift to the helibase at Juhu or relocate to some other part of the airport. "A decision on this has to be taken quickly," the official said.
On the possibility of shifting to Juhu, a RIL official said, "Unless the helibase at Juhu is capable of handling our aircraft we cannot even think about it."
The Juhu airport is only a helibase with a runway length of 3,750 feet. Aircraft (depending on their size) need at least 7,500 feet in order to land at ease. At present, Juhu caters only to helicopters of numerous private charter companies and also Pawan Hans.
Ignoring the signsu00a0u00a0
Airport officials have tried several tricks in the past at trying to force these aircraft out such as painting cross signs to indicate a no-parking zone while these jets were airborne. "These signs have always been ignored though," an airport official said.
Officials have also informally agreed to dig up the concrete and instead lay grass to force the aircraft out. However, operational constrains have held up this plan.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Move over, darlingsMukesh Ambani: Bombardier Global Express, Falcon 900EX, Airbus Corporate Jet
Anil Ambani: Falcon 2000, Bombardier Global Express, Falcon 7X
Ratan Tata: Falcon 2000
Gautam Singhania: Challenger 604
