Wide-body aircraft banned at Kozhikode airport this monsoon

Following the plane crash at Kozhikode airport in Kerala, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred the operation of wide-body aircraft at this airport this monsoon out of abundant caution. The aviation regulator will conduct a special audit of airports that receive heavy rain.

The decision was taken four days after a narrow-body B737 aircraft of Air India Express with 190 people on board overshot the runway and crashed at the Kozhikode airport amid heavy rain. The DGCA said thia will be in place until the monsoon gets over.

Wide-body aircraft like B747 and A350 have a bigger fuel tank and can travel longer distances compared to narrow-body aircraft. It also needs a longer runway length to take off or land.

The DGCA will conduct special audits of airports like Mumbai and Chennai that are affected by heavy rains annually.

The Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway on Friday night, fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into pieces, killing 18 people, including both the pilots.

The airline on Tuesday said 74 passengers injured in the plane crash in Kozhikode have been discharged from hospitals.

Meanwhile two leading pilot unions of Air India have demanded that the DGCA chief Arun Kumar be immediately replaced with someone else with substantial knowledge of the aviation sector and operational experience. This is after his comments that the plane’s landing in Kozhikode was not smooth.

Watch in Sign Language