Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jan 3: It is a known fact that airports across the world want to have sufficiently long runways to enable even big aircrafts to safely land there. Likewise, there was proposal to extend the runway of the local airport from the current 8,038 ft to 10,000 ft to help even big-bodied airplanes to touch down here. It was earlier said that land acquisition process, which was to be undertaken by state government, was pending.

In a shocking revelation, it has now become public that instead of extending the runway, the runway here is being cut down to 7,644 sqft from the current 8,038 ft. This is being done to provide for Runway End Safety Area (RESA). It is said that disinterestedness shown by higher officials at the airport their inability to rightfully assert the need to extend the runway of the airport to stay in competition with airports of the neighbouring state, has given rise to the current situation.

It is learnt that Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued instruction to the airport here to cut down the 2,450 metre runway to 2,330 metres (7,644 ft). In the remaining 120 metres, RESA, which has already been demarcated, will be created. RESA is safety area at the end of the runway to stop damage to aircraft in case of undershoot, overshoot, or excursion. This area is filled with sand so that the aircrafts safely come to a stop if they go out of the runway by chance.

On the other hand, there is information that Kannur international airport in neighbouring Kerala is being prepared for inaugural shortly with 10,000 ft runway. Once this airport is ready for big aircrafts, it may attract more international flights and passengers from Kasargod area might prefer that airport to the airport here, it is feared.

Therefore, the officials here were expected to convince DGCA about the need to extend the runway here to compete with others rather cutting down on it. M R Vasudeva, who served as airport director here for long in the past, believes that this will be a disadvantage for the airport here. He feels that lack of will power on the part of officials and people's representatives from here has given rise to a situation in which there is apprehension about this airport losing its importance.

He points out that instead of cutting down the runway, the airport area could have been extended by 60 metres by filling mud in the area already available around the airport and RESA could have been created there by shifting the localizer currently standing there without compromising on safety aspects. He also points out that the taxiway being built at a cost of crores of rupees will lose its relevance if the runway gets pruned and the number of aircrafts being operated from here comes down.

Director of the airport, V V Rao, said that RESA is being created as safety measure in tune with DGCA rules. He says that safety aspect is of more importance than extension of runway and the state government was also convinced of the need to create this area.

In short, the failure to extend the airport runway will hinder the growth of economy of the region.