No problem with Bajpe airport airstrip: Vice Chief Air Marshal

Dismissing reservations about the safety of the tabletop runway at Bajpe airport in Mangalore, where an Air India Express aircraft crashed, Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora today said there was no problem with the airstrip.

Updated on: May 23, 2010, 17:37:59 IST

PTI | By HT Correspondent, Bangalore

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Dismissing reservations about the safety of the tabletop runway at Bajpe airport in Mangalore, where an Air India Express aircraft crashed, Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora on Sunday said there was no problem with the airstrip.

"There is no problem with the airstrip there. I don't see any problem", he said on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the maiden fight of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at HAL airport here.

Queried about flight safety of the airport, he said, "Let us first find out the reason for the crash. Then we can cure the problem".

Expressing grief over the tragedy, which claimed 158 lives, Barbora said, "However, in this aviation game, the circus must go on".

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft of Air India's low budget carrier Air India Express overshot the airport runway here and burst into flames early yesterday, killing 158 persons. Only eight passengers survived the crash.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.