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Journalism of Courage
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to tide over the parking crisis at IGI airport by parking planes at night at the IAF technical area of the airport.
In a note to the Civil Aviation ministry, AAI said that an analysis of flight statistics at IGI airport shows an average movement of 300 aircraft per month in the IAF Technical Area. ‘‘The IAF Technical area has around 30 parking stands. Data shows that on an average, only 10 out of the 30 stands are used on an average per day. The remaining 20 can be used for parking scheduled flights and general aviation aircraft at night,’’ said an AAI official.
Sources said efforts were on to convince the Defence ministry for approval of the proposal. ‘‘The Civil Aviation ministry has been pursuing the matter with the Defence ministry for around eight months now, but no decision has been reached yet,’’ said an AAI official.
Senior officials of both the ministries were learnt to have communicated on the issue. A joint secretary of Civil Aviation ministry wrote to his counterpart in the Defence ministry in late 2005 requesting to allow AAI to make use of these ‘‘under-utilised/un-utilised parking stands’’. Defence ministry officials concerned could not be reached for their comment despite repeated attempts.
The IAF Technical Area is mainly used for handling IAF aricraft used by the Communication Squadron and VVIP aircraft.
Taking its case a step further, AAI has proposed the shifting of the IAF Communication Squadron’s aircraft operations to IAF’s Hindon airbase in a bid to utilise the infrastructure in the technical area for civil flight operations. ‘‘VVIP aircraft movement may continue at IGI while the Communication Squadron can shift to Hindon,’’ said an AAI official.
AAI’s argument is based on the fact that Hindon airbase already handles various IAF aircraft operations and there would be no ‘‘operational constraints in shifting the operations of Communication Squadron to Hindon’’.
‘‘The Roy Paul Committee, which suggested measures to improve capacity of major airports, too, had recommended the shifting of the IAF Technical Area to Hindon airbase so as to make the area available for civil aviation needs,’’ said an AAI official.
