The SpiceJet incident on Sunday when a Delhi-bound plane caught fire mid-air owing to a bird strike has once again put the focus on the Patna airport. Experts have repeatedly called the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport dangerous owing to its short runway and an open abattoir
File image of the tailwing of the Alliance Air Boeing 737-200, after it crashed in Patna in 2000. Over 60 people including passengers, crew and villagers died when the plane crashed into a residential area just outside of the state of Bihar’s capital. AFP
On Sunday, a major tragedy was averted when a Spicejet plane that caught fire mid-air, landed safely at Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport. The incident took place in a Delhi-bound flight, which caught fire immediately after taking off. The airline regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Spicejet in their statements said that a bird hit led to the mid-air fire.
The incident has once again put the spotlight on the Patna airport and the many dangers — from bird strikes to a short runway — it poses to pilots.
In fact, this isn’t the only accident that the airport has witnessed. On 17 July 2000, the airport had made the headlines when a Delhi-bound Boeing 737 aircraft, coming from Kolkata, ploughed through a residential colony soon after take-off, killing more than 60 people. An investigation revealed that the cause of the accident was the runway being too short.
Let’s take a look at why experts call the airport a death trap waiting to happen.
Short runway
One of the major issues with the Patna airport is the short runway.
Experts believe that the Patna airport is marked as critical due to its short runway. Of its 2,286-metre runway, only 1,954 metres are actually available for use by pilots for take-off due to location constraints.
As per data from the Federal Aviation Administration, US, the adequate runway length required for a safe landing of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s is 2,300 metres. These are the two major types of passenger planes that usually fly in and out of Patna airport.
An aviation official was quoted as telling PTI earlier, “You just need to board a flight from somewhere to Patna and you will sense that something is amiss. Pilots have to brake violently and the judder can be felt by all passengers on board. Smooth landing is simply not possible.”
He said “a lot of manoeuvring” is required by pilots, both while landing as well as take off since besides the short runway the airport also has the disadvantage of densely populated residential localities and commercial establishments at a short distance and the slightest undershooting or overshooting could have catastrophic consequences.
According to Airports Authority of India, Patna’s Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is the ninth busiest airport in India. Image Courtesy: Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna/Facebook
Abattoir near the runway
Another major issue with the Patna airport is the presence of an abattoir and butcher shops around the airport.
Airport authorities have been raising the issue of the open abattoir and meat shops near the airport with the state government for over a decade, but no action has been taken yet.
Aviation experts contend that the open abattoir and meat shops invite birds, which increases the chances of bird strikes.
Also read: Explained: What are bird strikes and how they affect aviation safety?
In Sunday’s incident, the DGCA confirmed that it was a bird hit that had led to the failure of Engine 1 on the Patna-Delhi SpiceJet aircraft, which was forced to make an emergency landing after its left wing caught fire.
Tall trees
The Patna airport, situated near the Patna zoo, is also surrounded by tall trees, which acts as an act as an obstacle for aircraft and also hinders the pilots’ vision.
The tall trees also become the perfect spot for birds to build their nests, increasing the chances of bird strikes.
“The Patna airport has remained a critical spot for pilots. On one side, there are tall trees that make landing or taking off a tricky affair,” said V K Bhalla, former chief of Air India Pliots Union to PTI, about the presence of the greenery around the airport.
As per a report in The Print, a clock tower with a height of 333 feet, a part of the Patna Secretariat, is another obstacle for planes during landing at the airport.
Authorities have in the past ordered for the routine pruning of the trees in the area surrounding the airport to ensure an obstacle-free approach funnel for aircraft landing.
Get busy!
Over the past few years, the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport has become busier with the number of aircraft taking off and landing increasing quite significantly. The number of landings (only arrivals) in 2020 was 17,269. This is an increase from 2018’s numbers of 12,099.
Moreover, the airport is also handling larger number of passengers.
According to Airports Authority of India, the airport is the ninth busiest airport in India.
Alternate option
As a result of the issues and the pressures that the airport faces, officials proposed for an alternate — in Bihta. The initial deadline for this new airport was initially set for 2021. But it is now expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
However, till this new site comes up, the disaster-prone Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport is the only option. As the saying goes, the rest is up to God.
With inputs from agencies
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