Delhi airport needs to ensure its flight path is clear of all obstacles especially in these days of terrorism
Aviation safety poses such a wide challenge in today’s digitally porous times that we cannot afford to miss any loophole and need to gird up on physical ones, in this case the existing airport infrastructure. So following up on the Delhi High Court’s order on curbing construction and ensuring a smooth flight path for descending aircraft in Delhi/NCR, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has issued notices on 176 structures that are being perceived as a threat because they violate height restrictions. This has automatically angered business sentiments considering the list includes a luxury hotel, high end malls, a part of the elevated Metro system, pylons and, of course, cellphone towers. Fact of the matter is that though norms mandate that any construction around the airport needs clearance from the Airport Authority of India (AAI), there have been encroachments in and around the sprawl in recent years, particularly with regard to commercial establishments. Some of them have even perhaps managed certificates or approvals through low-level manipulation of officials. Besides, the authorities are not pushing for demolition without consideration. They are first offering the middle path of correctives, like lowering and amending structures and putting up beacons. In fact, the Delhi High Court has been consistently highlighting the need for unobstructed stretches near the airport and mitigating human clusters by asking the Haryana and Noida authorities to not allow highrises to be built or even sell those that are dangerously close for comfort.
Encroachment of airport land is not unique to Delhi but other airports around the world, challenged as they are by population and economic pressures. However, the attacks on airports at Istanbul or bringing down of an MH-17 aircraft over Ukraine have proven that airports are now on the radar of terrorist networks as a high target strike option. Besides, technology has allowed for remote-controlled precision attacks and any elevated site near the airport can be used to launch projectiles that can target low-flying aircraft, either ascending or descending, and even the high value, state-of-the-art airport infrastructure. The bustling Delhi airport is now among the world’s top super club terminals that is fast becoming a victim of its success and, therefore, at a greater risk of being panned as a target. Besides, we need greenfield areas around it for future expansion too.