365 obstacles around IGI Airport, DIAL tells HC

Regulator asks for list of obstacles around aviation hub

A SpiceJet Airlines aircraft flies past newly-constructed hotels on the way to landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi April 1, 2013. A number of the 12 newly-built or planned hotels next to India's busiest airport, at a cost totalling more than $2 billion, have been unable to open as they await security clearance from police worried about their proximity to an active runway. The cluster of hotels known as Aerocity, on a site bigger than 40 American football fields, was approved by the government six years ago. Picture taken April 1, 2013. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION REAL ESTATE TRAVEL TRANSPORT)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday told the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which runs the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, to give a list of obstacles around the aviation hub that may pose a threat to aircraft safety.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar gave the direction after DIAL said there are 365 obstacles around the aviation hub.

Permission for runway

The court asked aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) how it had granted permission for a runway at the IGIA despite the obstacles around it.

The court also made the Delhi government a party to the plea, as the District Collector is the authority who will ensure demolition of obstacles on receipt of information from the DGCA.

The court was hearing a plea by lawyer Yashwanth Shenoy, who said that Aerocity, which has several high-rise hotels near the international airport, was a major threat to security and safety of aircraft flying over it.

Safety issue

He said it was easy for a terrorist to bring down a plane from these hotels as they do not have bulletproof windows, a requirement for being allowed to come up there, besides insufficient security personnel at these establishments.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, in its affidavit, said that hotels at Aerocity were required to have bulletproof windows. It has also said that these hotels have their own security mechanism to prevent any untoward incident.

Non-compliance

Mr. Shenoy claimed that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the Central Industrial Security Force and the police have not taken airport security seriously. He said these establishments have been operating in spite of non-compliance with conditions imposed on buildings around the airport.