Months after the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) found fault with its design and techno-economic feasibility report, the authorities will soon approach the Ministry Of Civil Aviation with a revised design and techno-economic feasibility report on the proposed Sabarimala airport.
According to V. Thulasidas, Special officer of the airport project, the field works of the land survey as well as the runway-specific Obstacle Limitation Surface Survey (OLS) were already complete. The OLS was carried out to identify a longer stretch of runway as against the 2.7-k.m.-long one identified in the earlier survey.
Alongside these surveys, the field work for an Environment Impact Assessment of the Cheruvally Estate, location of the proposed airport, too has been launched.
“While the ideal length of a runway for an international airport is 3.4 k.m. the latest survey explored the same location from a different orientation and alignment. The attempt is to identify alternative 3 k.m.-plus stretches with no natural obstacles that will enable the operation of wide-bodied aircraft,” explained Mr. Thulasidas.
As soon as the consultant completes these surveys and prepares the new report, a revised application will be submitted with the Ministry of Civil Aviation , he added.
The latest development comes even as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in a recent report, recommended the Ministry of Tourism to coordinate with the Ministry of Civil Aviation on priority basis for the development of airports at locations, including Sabarimala.
Earlier in September last year, the DGCA found fault with the design and techno-economic feasibility report prepared by Louis Berger, the consultant agency.
In a three page report, the regulator agency had pointed out that site-clearance approval sought for the greenfield airport was not in tune with the Greenfield Airports Policy that no greenfield airport would be allowed within an aerial distance of 150 k.m. of an existing civilian airport.
It also carried adverse remarks on the space marked for the preparation of the 2,700-m-long runway, noting that in the absence of adequate length and width, a tabletop runway would have to be constructed on the lines of Mangaluru and Kozhikode airports.
