MALAPPURAM: Upgrading infrastructure, especially the development of the runways, at Kozhikode airport became a hot topic of debate following the August 7 mishap involving the Vande Bharat Mission flight from Dubai in which 18 people died and over 150 were injured.
Three days since the incident, Kozhikode airport director K Sreenivasa Rao, in an exclusive interview with TNIE on Monday, said steps to improve the airport’s safety will be taken if the agencies investigating the accident (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation) find any shortcomings and if the regulator (Airports Authority of India) suggests any infrastructure development.
Excerpts:
Q: How is the investigation into the accident progressing?
A: We are facilitating the investigation by the agencies. Several authorities and agencies like the aircraft operator, airport authorities, investigation agencies and relief operators will visit the spot and we will facilitate them too.
Q: There are rumours that the Civil Aviation Ministry will close down the runways due to the accident. What is your response?
A: I haven’t received any information like that in writing. We resumed operations at the airport by 3am on Saturday, a few hours after the accident. Since then, the airport has been functioning normally and all domestic, Vande Bharat Mission and chartered flights are arriving.
Q: Are any runway development proposals pending? There are reports that the airport authorities took no action on runway development despite warnings that such works must be prioritised.
A: As of now, no such proposals are pending. I have not received any proposal to develop runways since I joined.
Q. Will there be any plan to improve the runways?
A: All such plans depend on the final report of the investigation agencies. At present, we do not know if there are any shortcomings in the airport’s safety aspects. We will take steps to develop the runway if the probe report finds any and if the regulator recommends any action.
Q. Will it be tough to restore the lost reputation of the airport as rumours about its safety spread on social media?
A: If the airport isn’t safe, how is it receiving flights now? If there were any safety issues, the ministry would have stopped our operations.
Q: You were part of the rescue operations. How did you coordinate the works and manage to resume the airport’s functioning a few hours after the accident?
A: I got information about the accident as soon as it took place. My team at the airport, the Central Industrial Security Force, local residents, the district and the police administrations, National Disaster Response Force, medical team and everyone else helped me. Within two hours, we could rush almost every passenger to hospitals. By God’s grace, we could save many lives.