After Ajit Pawar's death, Centre begins inspection of 400 airstrips
After Ajit Pawar's death, Centre begins inspection of 400 airstrips
The Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a nationwide inspection of around 400 uncontrolled airstrips in India.
The move is aimed at creating uniform operating standards and a joint oversight system between the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and state governments.
The exercise will assess infrastructure gaps, communication systems, firefighting preparedness, and coordination with local authorities.
Inspection of Category A airports
The decision to inspect these airstrips comes after a tragic plane crash in Baramati on January 28 that killed Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
Following the crash, DGCA teams have started reviewing safety practices at Category A airports, which are uncontrolled and do not have any air traffic control services.
Lack of standardized procedures at airstrips
India has at least 400 such airstrips, many of which are used by charter operators, political flights, and flying schools.
However, they lack standardized procedures for runway upkeep and rescue services.
"Existing guidelines for such airstrips do not fall under DGCA's purview. The regulator, in coordination with the states, will evolve a system so that the status and safety standards of these airports are known to the civil aviation authority," a senior official said.
Classification of Indian airports
The inspection teams include officers from the flight safety, airworthiness, and operations directorates.
Indian airports are classified into four categories by the DGCA. Category A airports operate without ATC services; Category B airports have limited control with partial ATC or Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS) facilities; Category C airports function under procedural ATC without radar separation; and Category D airports are fully controlled radar-equipped hubs.
Prominent uncontrolled operational airstrips in India
Some of the prominent uncontrolled but operational airstrips include Baramati, Karad, and Chandrapur in Maharashtra; Ujjain and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh; Bhagalpur and Begusarai in Bihar; Alwar in Rajasthan; Sultanpur and Saifai in Uttar Pradesh; and Hassan in Karnataka.
These airports are extensively used by politicians and business jet flights.