The civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has shut down Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport in Nanded after it found serious safety lapses, multiple officials aware of the matter told HT.
“The DGCA issued an order to shut down the Nanded airport after it found four serious issues with the airport,” an official said. “The lapses included big potholes on the runway, no power back up and inadequate fire tenders,” the second official said. “The lapses have been categorized as L1 by the DGCA,” he added.
The DGCA classifies safety-related audit findings into two tiers: Level 1 (L1) and Level 2 (L2). L1 refers to the most serious violations, considered direct safety hazards that demand immediate corrective action by the airline, while L2 violations typically include procedural non-compliances or administrative oversights that do not pose an immediate danger but still require rectification.
The airport operates for seven hours a day and has Star Air as its sole airline operator. The airline runs 10 daily flights to and from Nanded.
“One of the DGCA’s observations was that the airport operated with Doppler VOR, which is less accurate than satellite-based systems,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}“One of the DGCA’s observations was that the airport operated with Doppler VOR, which is less accurate than satellite-based systems,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC), which manages the airport, did not respond to queries sent to them.
People aware of the matter said that senior management officials of Star Air, the airline impacted due to the closure, met with ministry officials on Friday.
“The airline carries 5,000 passengers weekly. Due to heavy footfalls of the pilgrims in Nanded, the advance booking runs up 180,000. The airline presented the impact of the closure not only on passengers but also on them,” one of the people said. “The disruptions are expected to impact the airline for at least a week,” the official added.
Nanded is a major centre for the Sikh community, drawing pilgrims from Punjab.