The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) for violating safety norms by neglecting runway maintenance. The fine imposed on NSCBIA is the highest so far.
According to officials, the audit report suggested that the NSCBIA has been negligent in the maintenance of the runway as per the mandated safety requirement. “That’s why the DGCA has decided to impose a penalty of Rs 20 lakh. This is the highest penalty imposed on any airport so far,” officials added. The safety audit of NSCBIA was carried out last year.
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 Airports Authority of India (AAI) has constituted an internal committee to look into the said incident.
The provisions of levying fines were added by a special section introduced in the Aircraft Act in September 2020. Subsequently, last May an enabling provision was introduced to provide for levying financial penalty against service providers for violation of regulations/requirement.
Interestingly, January 23 marks the 125th anniversary of iconic freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, after whom the international airport was named. From this year on, Netaji's birth anniversary will mark the beginning of the Republic Day celebrations in India.
January 23 is also observed as 'Parakram Diwas' (Day of Valour) in India and as 'Desh Nayak Dibas' in West Bengal as a tribute to the freedom fighter.