Conduct structural audits of airports: Union Govt

Safety measures to prevent such incidents to be formulated as priority post review

The canopy at Rajkot Airport’s pick up and drop area collapsed on Saturday morning amid heavy rains, marking the third such incident across the country in three days. The incident is followed by canopy collapses at the Jabalpur Airport in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi Airport’s T1 on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

“Preliminary information indicates no injuries or casualties were reported. Gujarat is currently experiencing heavy rainfall as the southwest monsoon is advancing further into the state,” said sources from Rajkot airport. “Amid the forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall in some areas, seven teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Kutch, Rajkot, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Narmada, and Valsad districts,” said sources from NDRF.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has ordered a structural audit of all airports across India following the canopy collapse at Delhi airport on Friday. The MoCA has instructed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to issue circulars to all airports in India to conduct structural audits and submit their findings to the ministry. “The AAI has been tasked with issuing a circular to all minor and major airports, mandating a thorough inspection of structural strength. These inspections are to be carried out urgently, with a tight deadline of 2-5 days for completion. Following the inspections, comprehensive reports are to be submitted to the MoCA for review,” the MoCA spokesperson told mid-day.

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