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Juhu airport closed

T.S. Shankar

UNDER WATER: A helicopter in flood waters at Juhu airport in Mumbai.

CHENNAI: Even as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been struggling to restore normality in the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport in the rain-ravaged Mumbai, the adjacent Juhu airport, mostly used by helicopters, is under six feet of water.

According to pilots operating charter services from there, the Juhu airport was closed in the wake of the incessant rain since July 26. Over two dozen helicopters parked in hangars were affected.

This is not the first time such a crisis has arisen. But this rain was unprecedented and the airport was flooded, a senior helicopter pilot said.

Apart from a fleet belonging to Pawan Hans (12 helicopters), United Helicharters (5), Global Vectra Helicopters (2) and others lying grounded under water, the downpour damaged spares in the hangars.

For the past 25 years the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has been using the airport to ferry its crew to and from offshore installations.

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