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Time of India
09-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Delhi-bound flight returns to Patna airportafter bird strike, all passengers safe
1 2 3 Patna: A Delhi-bound flight carrying 175 passengers and crew members had a close call when the plane encountered a bird strike soon after taking off from the Jayprakash Narayan International Airport on Wednesday morning. The IndiGo Airlines aircraft, operating the Patna-Delhi route, experienced turbulence shortly after becoming airborne, necessitating its return to Patna. Confirming the incident, airport director Krishna Mohan Nehra said the flight 6E-5009 from Patna to Delhi reported a bird hit after take-off at 8.42am on Wednesday. "Soon after departure, a message was received by ATC (air traffic control) that the pilot requested to return to Patna due to vibration in one engine of the aircraft. Local standby was declared, and the aircraft landed safely at 9.03am on Runway 07," he said, adding that all the passengers are safe. The director also said that bird remains were found on the runway during inspection. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said the flight has been grounded, and engineers are assessing the extent of the damage to the aircraft. The Delhi-bound flight after being in the air for 20 minutes returned to the Patna airport. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Don't Bother With An Expensive Will (Do This Instead) Local Will Finder Undo It was scheduled to land at Delhi's IGI Airport at 10.15am. Airlines executives said alternative arrangements were made for the affected passengers. "Due to the bird hit, the plane's engine blade was found damaged. The aircraft has been grounded to carry out extensive checks," they said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started its inquiry into the incident. As per the data shared by the ATC-Patna, a total of eight bird hit cases have been reported this year. The airport officials claimed that the presence of abattoirs in the Phulwarisharif area, accumulated water, overgrown grass in the vicinity, and insects on grass due to rain are some of the main reasons for attracting the birds in the airport area. The transfer station at Gardanibagh for segregation of waste of New Capital Circle under Patna Municipal Corporation, which is approximately 800 metres away from the airport, is another attraction for birds. Patna divisional commissioner Chandrashekhar Singh, who is also the chairman of the Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC), told this reporter that open shops selling meat have been removed, and it was verified by the officials as well. "The transfer station will be closed and shifted to Yarpur before Aug 15," he said. "There is still an issue near the railway line on the Phulwarisharif side where waterlogging occurs. In the last meeting, it was decided that the civic body would inspect the drains and redirect them to prevent water from reaching the railway line. A plan has been made to address it. The officials concerned are working on it, and we will review it to ensure it is completed quickly. Other issues have been gradually resolved," Singh said. On July 7, Air India's flight (AI-2634) from Patna to Delhi was delayed by over seven hours after it developed a technical glitch. On Jan 3, IndiGo flight (6E-2074) with 187 passengers, including former minister Sanjay Jha and JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu, made an emergency landing at Patna.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Patna airport faces safety risks amid urban sprawl & natural obstacles
1 2 Patna: The tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad has rekindled long-standing fears over the precarious nature of operations at Patna's Jayprakash Narayan International Airport, a facility so tightly hemmed in by urban sprawl and natural constraints that even seasoned pilots concede it offers almost no margin for error. Tucked between the lush, wildlife-rich Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park (better known as Patna zoo) to the east and the railway corridor of Phulwarisharif to the west, the airport is, by all accounts, flying on the edge. Its geographical squeeze is more than a cartographic inconvenience – it is a hazard. Short runways, tall trees, electric cables, a looming British-era clock tower and erratic light sources such as DJ laser beams during weddings all conspire to make every landing and take-off a potential challenge. "The airport is surrounded by thick settlement, making it one of the most challenging for take-offs and landings," an aviation official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The short runway only adds to the difficulty," he added. Despite being operationally critical for Bihar, the airport continues to run on borrowed time. Runway expansion has long been discussed, but actual action remains elusive. In the wake of the June 12 AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad, which sent shockwaves across the country, officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the district administration inspected Patna airport to examine possibilities for runway extension. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 오스템 임플란트 받아가세요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo A proposal has been drawn up yet again, but those on the ground remain sceptical. "We have heard promises before," said an airport official. "But the challenges we face demand more than paperwork and inspections," he added. Standing at 49.5 metres tall, the iconic clock tower near the Old Secretariat, built in 1917, poses a major hurdle for approaching aircraft. "It eats into our usable runway length," said Krishna Mohan Nehra, Patna's airport director. While the runway officially stretches 2,072 metres, pilots are forced to work with only 1,938 metres from the east and just 1,677 metres from the west due to the tower's presence. Nehra said the tower disrupts the standard three-degree landing approach, forcing aircraft to descend at steeper angles of up to 3.5 degrees which is risky, especially in poor weather. The Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC), chaired by divisional commissioner Chandrashekhar Singh, has recommended reducing the tower's height by 17.5 metres. The proposal now awaits cabinet secretariat approval. "Pilots often have to go around again due to incorrect approach angles caused by the tower," an official added. Patna's airstrip is nearly 750 feet shorter than the 2,300 metres recommended by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for safe operation of commercial jets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. In fact, Patna was one of four airports flagged in 2010 by the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council (CASAC) for critical safety limitations. The latest expansion proposal includes acquiring 37 acres to the east – 15 acres of which belong to the Patna zoo – and 200 metres of land towards the west, near the railway line in Phulwarisharif. District officials are eyeing sites near the Patna Golf Club to compensate the zoo for any lost land. Rajender Singh Lahauria, former airport director, supports the relocation of the zoo altogether. "The zoo director back then felt the airport operations were affecting animal breeding. Shifting the zoo and govt bungalows would make runway extension viable," he said. However, Lahauria cautioned that western expansion won't benefit landing distances due to the railway traction lines but could help with take-offs. "The real game-changer would be reducing the clock tower's height, but historically the AAI hasn't received a positive response from the state," he added. Lahauria said in 2016, a proposal was sent at his time to reduce the clock tower height by 11.5-m and land acquisition for runway extension, but nothing was done. Arvind Kumar Singh, secretary of Patna Golf Club, said they have a lease of 102.8acres of land out of which 20acres is "encroached" by zoo. "The club does not in any way interfere with flight safety funnel. Golf Club has been declared as a green belt with multiple heritage trees of over 70/80 years old. The Golf Club has given national level golfers creating a good image of emerging Bihar. We have plans to further upgrade the facility but if they take another 15-acre land, then how can we do it?" he asked. According to AAI officials, even the western extension is fraught with problems. "We can only extend by 120 metres towards Phulwarisharif. But even that will be largely unusable. There must be at least 150 metres between the runway's centreline and the railway track. Currently, we only have 70 metres and an extension would reduce it to just 39," one official said. High-tension wires along the railway line further complicate the possibility of creating a slope. Efforts to move the railway line underground were ruled out after a RITES feasibility study. "There is simply no scope westward," the official said. The eastern approach is equally complex. "When pilots land from the east, the first thing they see are tree canopies, not the runway," another official said. "Beyond the zoo, new multi-storey buildings could emerge as future obstructions. We have only surveyed within our jurisdiction, but even now, we can't use the full 2,072 metres," he added. Tree growth at the zoo poses a persistent safety threat. Regular pruning, officials say, is either delayed or ignored. At a recent AEMC meeting, the airport director stressed the urgency of compliance with the Obstacle Limitation Survey under the Aircraft Act, 1934. The forest department has been instructed to take immediate action. "Tree growth is natural, and so should be its management," said Arvind Dubey, former director of the airport. "We need the state's cooperation to ensure aircraft safety. Passenger facilities have improved, but operational safety must follow," he added. Another growing concern is the menace of laser lights from wedding venues. On April 17 this year, an IndiGo flight (6E-653) from Pune was temporarily blinded by a DJ laser beam during its approach to Patna. While the pilot managed a safe landing, the potential consequences could have been catastrophic. Following the incident, authorities banned laser lights in the airport vicinity, requiring prior police clearance for DJs and sound systems at public events. Yet enforcement remains patchy. "Laser distractions during peak wedding season can be fatal," airport officials said. Though bird-hit incidents have decreased due to tighter controls on open meat and fish shops in Phulwarisharif, danger still looms large, thanks to the nearby garbage transfer station at Gardanibagh. Only 800 metres from the airport, the site attracts birds and poses a serious threat. Divisional commissioner Singh said that a new dumping site is being constructed at Yarpur and is expected to be operational by Aug 15. "Proper waste disposal near the airport is crucial for safety," he said. This year, Patna airport has already reported seven bird-hit incidents, three of which occurred in May alone. The Ahmedabad crash also revived haunting memories of Patna's own aviation tragedy. On July 17, 2000, Alliance Air flight 7412 ploughed through a residential colony in Gardanibagh, killing over 60 people. Naveen Singh, a local, still remembers it vividly. "I was at the airport when it happened. I rushed to the site. It's an image I can't erase," he said. Akhilesh Choudhary, a 62-year-old resident of Gardanibagh, said, "The sound of aircraft engines still fills us with dread. After Ahmedabad, those old fears have returned. The authorities must take action for us and for the pilots." Ultimately, many aviation experts believe that only a greenfield airport can address Patna's aviation challenges comprehensively. "We are working within impossible constraints," said an AAI official. "The land is limited, the obstructions are permanent and the risks are real," he added.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Flight operations from city airport's new terminal likely from first week of June
Patna: Modern terminal building of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport is expected to commence operations two-three days after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 29. Flight services from the new three-level structure, comprising basement, ground and first floor, will begin in the first week of June. While the ground floor will be dedicated to the arrival zones, first floor to the departures. According to sources, this arrangement has been made to ensure a smooth transition of Airports Authority of India (AAI) offices and airline counters from the existing terminal to the new facility. Patna airport director, Krishna Mohan Nehra, said on Tuesday after the inauguration they require two-three days to organise the new premises before initiating flight operations and the movement of flyers. He said, "We have done preliminary checks, but there are still a couple of formalities that need to be tackled. With the commencement of flight operations from the new terminal, some more aircraft will be added to the existing routes. Presently, the airport is operating 90 flights a day, including 45 arrivals and 45 departures." He said no additional airlines have expressed interest to fly from the airport, and also there are no proposals for international flight operations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The new building, which is spread over 65,155 square metres, can handle 75 arrivals and 75 departures per day and the passenger handling capacity will also increase from 25 lakh per annum to 1 crore annually. The airport officials said with the commencement of operations at the new terminal building, the number of CISF personnel will be increased by 100. "Presently, we have 468 CISF for security. It will be increased to 568," he said. Equipped with modern facilities, the new terminal has 64 check-in counters; 13 boarding gates—eight on the ground floor and five on the first floor; five conveyor belts; eight inline XBIS machines; seven hand baggage scanning machines in the security hold area with automatic tray return system (ATRS) and eight exit gates (four e-gates- digiyatra), food counters, restaurants, shops and lounge. The terminal building at the airport will be a 4-star Griha rating and energy-efficient building. According to officials, of the five aerobridges, only one will be operational initially because the base has not been prepared yet to reach the parking bay. "The base for the other four aerobridges will be constructed once the existing terminal building is demolished. Four more parking bays will come up at the site where the old building exists. Presently, the airport has seven parking bays," he said. With the operation of the new terminal building, the multi-level car parking will also commence operation. The top floor of the G+5 facility is connected to the terminal building's first floor. It will have the capacity to accommodate 7,450 vehicles.
