AAI brings out list of structures that obstruct flights

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Sunday brought out a revised list of huts, hoardings, buildings, chimneys and a mosque that sit on the flight paths of planes flitting in and out of Mumbai.

Huts, hoardings, buildings, chimneys and a mosque sit on the flight paths of planes flitting in and out of Mumbai, a revised list of obstacles put out by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Sunday showed.

The HC was hearing two petitions which alleged that the AAI had given height clerances to 150-odd buildings against its own safety precautions (HT File Photo)

The list that showed close to 1,000 such obstacles has came out less than a week after the Bombay high court rapped the airport administration and the aviation regulator for turning a blind eye towards these safety lapses.

The HC was hearing two petitions which alleged that the AAI had given height clerances to 150-odd buildings against its own safety precautions.

Rajiv Saxena, general manager with the Mumbai air traffic control (ATC) establishment, was not available for comment. A Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) official refused to comment as the matter was “subjudice”.

The list containing the coordinates of the obstacles showed that flights landing on the smaller runway had more than half of the obstacles on the approach path.

“The main airstrip is mostly used by planes taking off from the Jari Mari end,” said an ATC official requesting anonymity.

There were at least 110 obstacles for flights landing on the other end of the main runway, the official added.

A similar number of obstacles were also marked for flights circling the airport from above, the list added.