Major pilot associations have demanded that Arun Kumar be immediately replaced with a suitable candidate with substantial aviation knowledge and operational experience, to serve the country as the Director General of Civil Aviation.
The table-top runway 10 of the Kozhikode airport is approximately 2,700 metres long. Wide-body aircraft operations were permitted at this airport from 2019.
As many as 18 people including two pilots were killed and 149 persons injured after an Air India Express flight overshoot the runway amid heavy rain, plunged deep down 35 ft. into the valley below and broke in two pieces while landing at the Kozhikode airport.
The airline also announced immediate financial relief to the families of those who died in the accident and to those who were injured.
Hardeep Singh Puri has announced an interim relief of Rs 10 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered minor injuries.
Wing Commander Deepak V Sathe has flown the MiG-21 fighter aircraft with 17 Squadron (Golden Arrows) in Ambala before shifting to civilian flying and joining Air India.
The aircraft, which made a hard-landing, broke in two after falling off the ‘table-top’ Kozhikode airport, but did not catch fire and thus averted a greater disaster.
The aircraft with 190 persons onboard battled heavy rains while landing. Although the aircraft broke in two, it, fortunately did not catch fire at the time of landing, thus averting a major disaster.
