In a disastrous turn of events, 18 people were killed and several others were injured when an Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway in Kozhikode airport in Kerala on Friday night while landing in heavy rains. The incident has brought back attention to the other ‘risky’ airports in the country, which require renovations.

One such airport is the Jaiprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna, considered as one of the busiest in the country. The airport had witnessed a tragic crash on July 17, 2000 in which more than 60 people were killed. Though a new airport was scheduled to be built at Bihta on the outskirts of Patna by the end of 2019, nothing came out of it. 

Though an inquiry by Admiral P Rajkumar had concluded the cause of the accident in the year 2000 was “loss of control of the aircraft due to human error,” it also noted in its observation that the short runway of the airport might have contributed to the disaster.

The report said that it “sufficed” until the 1970s, when “only light aircraft were being operated from the airfield” but requirements changed when big commercial jets like Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 started running from the airport.

“The runway length was extended to its present dimension which was the maximum the airfield could accommodate” the report pointed out adding that it was causing operational constraints.

The airport also has the disadvantage of located in densely populated residential localities and commercial establishments at a short distance and the slightest undershooting or overshooting could have disastrous consequences. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an aviation official said that a smooth landing is almost impossible in the Patna airport. “Pilots have to brake violently and the judder can be felt by all passengers on board,” the official said. 

The aviation official, meanwhile, seems frustrated that the proposed shifting of the airport to Bihta, about 35 km from the city, has been delayed.

“Given the topography of the city, the current location of the airport is not suited for air traffic. In addition to the acknowledged pitfalls of a short runway, flights here routinely suffer bird hits since markets dealing in meat, fish, and poultry are situated not too far away, he added.