Kerala plane crash: Why safety regulator says Calicut airport is safe

In a conversation with Hindustan Times' national political editor, Sunetra Choudhury, Directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) chief Arun Kumar said that the tabletop runway at Calicut Airport was long enough for the aircraft, however, a late touchdown may have caused the plane to overshoot the runway. On August 7, an Air India Express plane overshot the runway and fell into a valley where the aircraft split into two pieces. At least 18 people, including two pilots, were killed in the accident. There were 190 people onboard the Vande Bharat flight which was bringing back Indians stranded in Dubai due to Covid-19 pandemic.