New Delhi: In the 60th year of existence, Mangalore (international) Airport(MIA) is Unsafe, declared Vayalar Ravi in Rajya Sabha Parliament in a written reply on Friday, November 25, which is a “black Moon” day with solar eclipse unseen in India at the end of Kartik(autumn)month. But the shocked MPs nodded, when there was a Consolation to go with it. 11 other airports also were so unsafe in India out of over 100 airports. The taint has to be removed locally, he said.
The Bajpe airport on a hill-top has been closed in June 2010, and the present modern airport is in level ground Kenjaru, with an insufficient runway of 850 meters which needs to be extended to at least 1,000 meters in length for a Boeing to happily land, and taxi away to a formal stop.
The old Bajpe airport which had a chilling Air India Boeing aircrash in May 2010, no longer serves even as a cargo airport, or for night airmail, which it did in earlier years.
The aircrash-nightmare and the unfinished” payment of adequate compensation “to some 50 bereaved families who went to court and failed have brought bad name(badnami) to Bajpe(old)airport.
There is no way to change this ugly label, as Bajpe remains condemned, even for cargo movements.
The international tag may come before end of 2011, if Ravi’s to be believed but safety? Ask Vadudev Howsafe is MIA?