Karnataka   

‘Nothing wrong with airport'

MANGALORE: Sources in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said there was nothing wrong with the infrastructure at the Mangalore airport.

Responding to fears that tabletop runways have risks attached, following Saturday's crash that led to the death of 158 persons, AAI sources said this need not be a cause for worry. The pilots permitted the fly to Mangalore are well aware that it has a table-top runway and are expected to adhere to the guidelines.

They said the TODA/LDA (Take Off Distance Available and Landing Distance Available), the Exhilarated Stop Distance Available (ESDA) and the Take Off Run Available (TORA) of the airfield is known to pilots. Only pilots with the required skill and certain hours of flying are asked by airlines to operate in such airfields.

“Pilots know the stipulations,” they said. “Infrastructure cannot be blamed.”

The Mangalore airport has been identified as “critical airfield” according to Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources.

Port Blair, Leh, Agartala, Lengpui, Shimla and Kullu are other such airfields in the country.

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