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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of ₹20 lakh on Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) for violating safety norms by neglecting runway maintenance, reported news agency ANI on Sunday.
"After the regulator started safety auditing for airports a few months back, the audit report found that NSCBIA has committed serious safety norms violations, especially on the runway maintenance work. It has been decided to impose a fine of ₹20 lakh," said a senior DGCA official.
"According to the audit report, the maintenance of the runway at Kolkata airport was not done as per the guidelines, the lights on the runway were not fixed properly and Foreign Object Debris (FOB) was reported on the runway, which could have been a part of an aircraft's safety during landing and takeoff was a concern," the official added.
The DGCA's audit report suggested that the Kolkata airport has been negligent in the maintenance of the runway as per the mandated safety requirement.
The aviation regulatory body has issued a show-cause notice to the airport in case of serious violation of security rules at the airport.
Construction of second airport
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has decided to construct a second airport in the vicinity of Kolkata with an aim to decongest the NSCBIA in Dumdum.
The state government has started looking for land in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district, he said, adding that Bhangar is among the possible locations.
In a recent communication, Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi has directed South 24 Parganas District Magistrate P Ulganathan to earmark land for the proposed airport, which will have facilities of an international airport, the official said.
"There is a lot of pressure on Dumdum airport in North 24 Parganas district. We have felt the need to construct a new airport in the vicinity of Kolkata. The best possible place will be in South 24 Parganas. This will probably be the second biggest airport in the state," the IAS officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
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