Aviation Watchdog Raises Issues About Proposed Sabarimala Airport Site In Kerala
NDTV
The DGCA said there may be a "constraint in runway length and associated facilities" at the Sabarimala airport, thus restricting aircraft operation.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has raised certain issues about the proposed site for the Sabarimala international airport in Kerala and required modifications to be carried out to address the concerns, according to sources.
The airport is slated to be developed in the over 2,200-acre Cheruvally estate and would be about 48 kilometres away from the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple, a hill shrine visited by lakhs of pilgrims every year.
The sources said the DGCA has submitted the comments to the ministry of civil aviation on site clearance approval for developing the airport, after an inspection conducted by its officials.
Noting that the proposed site is basically a hilly terrain, DGCA said the site topography is similar to the Calicut and Mangaluru airports, and that also needs to be kept in mind while considering the proposal.