An RTI filed by Aseem Takyar states that the AAI has referred the matter to the aviation regulator, asking it to take a prompt action, and has served a notice to the Trust. The RTI further states that the Trust and AAI are involved in a blame game on the issue.
Informing the DGCA that the statue is 11.5-metre higher than the permissible limit of 252.1 metre and causes obstruction to aircraft movement, the AAI says it has asked the regulator to decide on either reducing the statue’s height or relocating it. However, the Trust has denied of violating any law and has blamed the authority, alleging poor planning while making Runway 29 at the IGI Airport.
Meanwhile, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), in a letter to the AAI on March 15, 2010, had written that statue’s height had forced DIAL to displace the threshold of Runway 29 by 1460 metres to keep the statue below 2 per cent approach slope.
The letter further stated, “To avoid obstacle infringement caused by the Shiva statue, the Landing Distance Available (LDA) of Runway 29 was reduced to 2830 metre, though the length of the runway is 4430 metres. Pilots of landing aircrafts use reserve thrust to vacate runway via taxiway Z6 or Z7, the rapid exit taxiways, thereby causing significant noise to the detriment of nearby residents and airport users. If aircraft vacates via S4 or S5, more time is entailed for runway vacation, thereby causing delay to subsequent departure/ arrival that results in reduced runway capacity.”
However the trust, in its reply to the notice, said it has not breached any law, adding that the statue has been standing since 1994 and no objection had ever been raised by any of the statutory authorities. “The airport operator is allegedly having difficulty in using runway 29/11. Thus, the AAI in order to cover its lapses, relating to the lack of proper planning, has alleged that the Shiva statue was impending the properties of the runway 29/11,” said the trust.
Informing the DGCA that the statue is 11.5-metre higher than the permissible limit of 252.1 metre and causes obstruction to aircraft movement, the AAI says it has asked the regulator to decide on either reducing the statue’s height or relocating it. However, the Trust has denied of violating any law and has blamed the authority, alleging poor planning while making Runway 29 at the IGI Airport.
Meanwhile, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), in a letter to the AAI on March 15, 2010, had written that statue’s height had forced DIAL to displace the threshold of Runway 29 by 1460 metres to keep the statue below 2 per cent approach slope.
The letter further stated, “To avoid obstacle infringement caused by the Shiva statue, the Landing Distance Available (LDA) of Runway 29 was reduced to 2830 metre, though the length of the runway is 4430 metres. Pilots of landing aircrafts use reserve thrust to vacate runway via taxiway Z6 or Z7, the rapid exit taxiways, thereby causing significant noise to the detriment of nearby residents and airport users. If aircraft vacates via S4 or S5, more time is entailed for runway vacation, thereby causing delay to subsequent departure/ arrival that results in reduced runway capacity.”
However the trust, in its reply to the notice, said it has not breached any law, adding that the statue has been standing since 1994 and no objection had ever been raised by any of the statutory authorities. “The airport operator is allegedly having difficulty in using runway 29/11. Thus, the AAI in order to cover its lapses, relating to the lack of proper planning, has alleged that the Shiva statue was impending the properties of the runway 29/11,” said the trust.