AAI yet to comply with PMO directive on clarifying allegations made against secondary runway

Chennai:
It has been eight months since the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
directed the Airport Authority of India to respond to a petition from
a Chennai resident who alleged that the extension of the Chennai
Airport secondary run way is a wasteful expenditure. But still the
country's sole body which manages the airport is yet to respond to the
petitioner, despite the PMO's directive.

A Krishnamurthy, secretary of Marvel Riverview County Owners Welfare
Association, had submitted the petition in January this year arguing
that the extension of secondary runway from 2,068 metres to 3,100
metres over Adyar River at a cost of Rs 550 crore was a wasteful
expenditure. The PMO asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to respond to
the allegations and the ministry subsequently directed the Airport
Authority of India (AAI) on February 9, 2016 to furnish its comments
on the allegations and upload it in the PMO's portal. But the
authority is yet to give its reply.

The association had alleged that the average actual aircraft movements
per hour for the last eight years was 17 till 2013-14 as per figures
of Airport Authority of India.

“Even if one takes the peak hour movement, it was only 25. There was
no hurry to extend the runway over the Adyar river. The actual
increase in passenger traffic from 2011-2015 is only 10.5pc with an
average of 3.5pc per annum,” the association observed.

Even if the traffic is going to increase in future, the runway
capacity could be increased with rapid exit taxiways and instrument
landing system in place.

“Mumbai airport finds it more effective to operate a single runway and
handles 45 aircraft movements per hour on an average. Experts have
been insisting on technical developments rather than extending the
runway on the river,” said said association member Vijayakumar.

Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said he too had sent in a
representation to the Prime Minister’s office and said there is no
need of the secondary runway which hardly caters to wide-bodied
aircraft. “When the runway can only cater to Airbus 320 and 737
aircraft then it is a waste of public money,” he added.

He also alleged that the bottom of the bridge should be 12.4 metres
while taking into account the 2005 floods. “However, it is only 9
metres,” he alleged.

Airport Authority of India officials in Chennai said they are not
aware of any intimation to clarify on allegations pertaining to
secondary runway. "We haven't recieved anything from Delhi," an
official said.

Factfile:

1. The secondary runway construction began in 2009 to accommodate more flights

2. The runway is built over the Adyar river by means of a bridge
including a taxiway

3. The project was completed in 2011 but it failed to meet the
standards of International Civil Aviation Organisation

4. Though secondary runway was increased by 1,032 metres to 3,100 only
2,400 metres could alone be used in the absence of 15 acres of land
for approach lights and obstructions on approach path

5. The first flight landed on May 2014

6. AAI said it is trying to get additional land from Tamil Nadu
government to complete the extension to increase the capacity to 50
aircraft movement per hour

7. With land already identified for Greenfield airport, AAI should not
have gone for secondary runway project, allege activists