Ahmedabad Plane crash: Authorities to survey areas around airport to check..., DGCA rules...
Ahmedabad Plane Crash @X
Ahmedabad Plane crash: Authorities will conduct a survey of the areas surrounding the Ahmedabad airport, in the wake of last week's Air India plane crash that claimed 270 lives, to check whether any structures were violating height norms and posing a threat to aircraft safety, an official said on Thursday.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after it took off from the city airport in the afternoon of June 12. The ghastly air crash and subsequent fire killed 270 persons, including passengers, crew members and people on the ground.
'As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s guidelines, a survey of areas surrounding the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here will be conducted by the officials of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Civil Aviation department,' Ahmedabad District Collector Sujeet Kumar told reporters.
'Once the survey gets over, subsequent necessary work will be initiated,' he said.
He cited the draft Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, issued by the civil aviation ministry, to tighten controls on structures that pose a threat to aircraft safety near airports.
The draft rules aim to empower authorities to take immediate action against buildings, trees, or other objects that violate prescribed height limits in designated aerodrome zones. Officials can issue notices to such buildings and initiate action for height reduction or demolition.
'The work of the survey will be carried out in a prescribed time. The area of survey around the airport will be decided by the civil aviation team,' Kumar said. Survey teams will be formed soon, he said.
In the last week's tragedy, the aircraft departed from the Ahmedabad airport at 1.39 pm and its pilot issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after take-off to the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad. Moments later, the plane smashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.
All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the ill-fated plane and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students of B J Medical College, on the ground were killed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘AAIB to decide if AI 171 black boxes need t be sent abroad for analysis:' Govt
NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will decide whether to send the black boxes — cockpit voice and flight data records — of the ill-fated Boeing 787 that crashed as AI 171 last Thursday abroad for analysis. 'The decision regarding location for decoding the flight recorders will be taken by AAIB after due assessment of all technical, safety, and security considerations,' a govt statement said Thursday. 'A multi-disciplinary team from AAIB has commenced investigation (into AI 171 crash) from June 12. The investigation has been ordered by DG, AAIB. US National Transportation Safety Board and original equipment manufacturer (like Boeing, GE) teams have arrived to assist AAIB as per ICAO protocols. A combined unit of the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was recovered from the crash site on June 13 and another set was found on June 16. This model of aircraft has two Blackbox sets,' The govt statement said. Meanwhile, Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Thursday held a meeting to review ground-level preparedness and passenger support mechanisms because of rescheduling of flights happening due to multiple reasons like post-accident checks, weather changes, closing of certain airspaces due to geopolitical tensions etc. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo While emphasising on safety, he directed airlines to address passenger issues swiftly; asked airports to have adequate food, drinking water, and adequate seating facilities. Airport directors were directed to reinforce wildlife hazard management, including the deterrence of birds and stray animals. Naidu also met top officials from SpiceJet, Indigo and Akasa on June 18 and 19. He reviewed fleet performance, safety oversight, passengers experience & convenience and airline communication strategy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: Bird-attracting sites near airports must be closed, demands animal rights group while flagging past data of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad
Image credit: PTI NEW DELHI: With investigators looking into if a bird strike, among other reasons, caused an Air India plane crash near the Ahmedabad airport, an animal rights group on Thursday wrote to the director general of civil aviation seeking immediate nationwide enforcement of a rule that prohibits bird-attracting establishments, such as slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies and garbage dumps, within 10 km of an airport. The People for Animals (PFA) Public Policy Foundation demanded strict compliance of Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, at every airport and licensed aerodrome to mitigate the growing bird strike-threat to aviation safety and public life by closing down such establishments. In its letter to the DGCA, flagging the govt's response in Rajya Sabha in 2023, the organisation highlighted the Ahmedabad airport's troubling record that includes 319 documented bird/animal (wildlife) strikes between Jan 2018 and Oct 2023, ranking it the third most-affected airport nationally after Delhi (710) and Mumbai (352). It said in 2023, Ahmedabad reported 81 bird/animal strikes, representing a 107% increase from the previous year. Sharing the data in Rajya Sabha on Dec 18, 2023, the govt had, however, underlined that no plane had crashed due to bird strike in the last five years and only one occurrence had been reported wherein an aircraft made an emergency landing due to bird strike at the Kolkata airport in 2021. Referring to a bird/animal strike data analysis, the govt had told the upper House that the maximum number of strikes occurred during the landing and takeoff phases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Noting that bird/animal strikes surged from 167 incidents in 2006 to 1,125 in 2022 nationally, the foundation in its letter highlighted that the national bird strike rate in 2022 stood at 9.14 per 10,000 aircraft movements. It was more than double the safety performance target of 4.26 set by the National Aviation Safety Plan 2018-22. The target was reiterated in the subsequent plan too. 'We can't keep calling these tragedies 'unforeseen' when the warnings have been clear for years. The Ahmedabad airport alone had 319 documented incidents, every single one was a red flag,' said Gauri Maulekhi, trustee and member secretary of PFA Public Policy Foundation. The letter to the DGCA also flagged that the recently enacted Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, further emphasises the law by imposing strict penalties of up to three years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 1 crore for any contravention of Rule 91. Pitching for strict enforcement of the existing laws/rules, Maulekhi said, 'The laws we have aren't suggestions, they are meant to protect people's lives. If these laws had been properly enforced and these establishments had been shut down, maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. It's time the DGCA issues clear, binding orders to states and local authorities to finally address this problem head-on.' The PFA in its letter claimed that slaughterhouses, meat shops, dairies, piggeries and waste dumping sites continue to operate in large numbers within the vicinity of major airports across the country despite the clear statutory prohibition. Citing examples, it said the Jamalpur slaughterhouse and Asarwa fish market are located close to the airport in Ahmedabad. Delhi, which reports the highest cumulative number of bird/animal strikes nationally, is surrounded by more than 500 such establishments as documented in recent surveys and site visitations, it added. 'Similar conditions persist in Mumbai and other major cities, where these activities act as a constant attractant for large populations of scavenging birds and contribute directly to the escalating risk of bird strikes,' PFA said. "We already have clear laws and years of data showing us exactly what the problem is. What we are missing is accountability and enforcement. If we are serious about preventing more tragedies like this, we need immediate action: enforce the law, close these illegal establishments, and publicly track compliance so people can see real progress. That's the only way the public will believe our skies are safe again,' said Mihir Dawar, policy specialist at the Foundation.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'Whenever a plane passes above us ...': Ahmedabad residents near airport consider relocation; property value declines
An Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. NEW DELHI: In Meghaninagar, near the Ahmedabad airport, residents experience intense fear whenever aircraft pass overhead. The atmosphere changed dramatically on June 12 when an Air India flight to London plummeted and crashed into a medical hostel in Meghaninagar, erupting in flames. The catastrophe claimed 270 lives, leaving residents with disturbing memories that will persist for years. The communities surrounding Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport remain deeply affected. One week after the incident, residents struggle to maintain their daily routines whilst coping with the psychological impact of the tragedy. Residents are considering relocation, whilst others worry about declining property values in areas beneath the flight path, such as Meghaninagar and Asarwa. There are additional concerns about the difficulty of securing tenants for rental properties. The working-class neighbourhoods of Laxminagar, Omkarnagar and Saraswatinagar, situated approximately one kilometre from the crash site, face compounded difficulties. These areas already suffer from inadequate infrastructure, including poor roads and insufficient sanitation. "There are no proper roads here. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Waterlogging and potholes make it difficult for us to walk (especially during rains). Now, this plane crash has added to our woes. Earlier, we had to walk only by looking down (to avoid potholes), now we have to look up also because whenever a plane passes above us, we fear it will crash on us," said Parmar, a resident of Meghaninagar, told PTI. A local resident observed changes in aircraft patterns following the incident. The crash involved Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers, which crashed shortly after takeoff. The disaster resulted in 271 fatalities, including 29 people on the ground, with only one survivor. "As if the jarring sound of aircraft passing overhead was not enough, we now have to worry about planes falling on us. Every passing plane reminds us about that crash. Though one week has passed, we can't stop thinking about it. The only respite is that planes have stopped flying too low after that crash," said Arun Kalal, a local resident. Property owners express dual concerns about decreasing property values and potential difficulties in securing tenants, as people may avoid these areas. "I have heard some tenants are mulling to move elsewhere after the crash. Despite the area being in bad shape, people chose to live here because of low rent. But, after this incident, some may think of shifting. This could affect property prices as well as existing rent rates," said Gajendra, an auto-rickshaw driver. Local women report that their relatives residing in other cities display greater anxiety about the situation than themselves. "Fear still grips us whenever we hear the sound of an aircraft. Women are more scared because we stay at home all the time and see over 100 planes fly above us in a day. After that incident, our relatives keep calling us every other day and enquire about our well-being. They are more worried than us," said a woman.
