Safety deficit: On Kozhikode aircrash (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Governance 
Prelims level:DGCA
Mains level: Important aspect of governance transparency and accountability 

Context:

• The tragic crash of an Air India Express ‘Vande Bharat’ relief flight in Kozhikode, in which people lost their lives is a forceful reminder that there are no acceptable risks in aviation. 
• Although an even bigger disaster was avertedby the absence of fire in the aircraft, the crash snuffedout the lives of many returning home from Dubai after a long. 
• Many Indians could not quickly return home from countries where they were employed, studying or travelling, although they desperately sought flights back home since March. 
• For those who took that long-awaited trip on August 7, it ended in disaster.

Risky flight operations:

• There are clear pointers to the dangerous nature of flight operations at Kozhikode airport in the midst of a strong monsoon. 
• Even with the availability of an instrument landing system for the “tabletop” runway carved into undulatingterrain, the accident took place.
• There are problems with visibility, a far shorter safety area at the runway end than optimal.
• There was absence of arrester systems that could stop an overshooting plane from falling off the edge, as it happened with this aircraft. 
• Which of these factors, along with the monsoon impact, led to the disaster will become clear with a professional investigation. 
• The Civil Aviation Ministry should make a full disclosure on the technical evidence gathered, the integrity of which will be scrutinised by safety organisations worldwide.

Lack of safety measures:

• Apparently anxious to project an image of normalcy, the Ministry allowed the airport to restart flights in a day, while the accident cause was yet to be ascertained.
• If rainy conditions existed during the landing, as Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said, these may persist during the rest of the monsoon. 
• Each flight must, therefore, be considered for a potential diversion to a safe airport nearby in bad weather. 
• Significantly, the admission by the DGCA that the key recommendation of runway extension at Kozhikode made almost a decade ago was not possible due to land acquisitionissues.
• Although the facility could still support wide-bodied aircraft, it strengthens the view that corners may have been cut on safety. 
• The instance of an Air India Express plane suffering a tail strike in the same airport last year should have led to a full assessment, following up on the recommendations made after the 2010 crash in Mangaluru. 
• Since the visible cause of Friday’s crash was an overshoot, the runway continues to pose a threat. 
• Bad meteorological conditions such as rain and wind, and runway surface problems such as stagnation of water or rubber deposits that contribute to skidding endanger passengers and crew. 

Conclusion:

• Every air safety incident diminishesIndia’s reputation. 
• The Kozhikode crash should lead to a fresh review of all risky airports.
• Transparent remedial action must be taken immediately.
• The Kozhikode air crash shows that there can be no compromise on airport infrastructure.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Consider the following statements:
1. Union Ministry of Shipping has separated the operation routes for merchant vessels and fishing vessels in South-West Indian waters. 
2. The Bab-el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: C