Imphal, March 22: Aerial survey for night landing at Tulihal Airport was conducted tonight by a joint team of Airport Authority of India and Civil Aviation Authority.
The aerial survey was conducted from 6 pm to 7.30 pm over the sky of Imphal by a flight coming from Kolkata flying around the places where Solar Powered Obstruction Light (SPOL) installed at four places by flying close to the installation sites.
A source from the Airport Authority of India here said that the aerial survey was done in order to test the visibility of the lights emitted from the SPOLs and whether it can detect areas where high mountains are located. They also conducted survey on the visibility of runways at the Tulihal Airport, the source said.
Mention may be made that Solar Powered Obstruction Lights (SPOL) are installed at four hills–Baruni (Nongmaiching) Hill, Heibok Hill, Chingphu Hill and Phunal Maring Hill–surrounding the Airport to facilitate landing of planes during night time.
State Transport and Education Minister, L Jayentakumar told the Hueiyen Lanpao that the government has completed works for the night landing facility at the airport. But as the issuing of the clearance certificate by the Civil Aviation Ministry is pending, the night landing facility could not be commissioned for the time being.
Chief Minister O Ibobi had, during his visit in New Delhi, insisted the Civil Aviation Ministry on issuing the certificate at the earliest. As a result, the aerial survey was conducted this evening, the Minister informed. He also expressed his confidence that the Ministry will issue the clearance certificate at the earliest. This will give immense benefit to the people of the state, he added.
Earlier, the trial for the night landing was scheduled to be conducted in May last year, but it was delayed as the Ministry of Civil Aviation was yet to issue clearance. It would be given after examining the works.
It is pertinent to mention here that a comprehensive plan to control bird-menace and reduce bird-strike rate will be taken up at Imphal Airport where works for providing night landing facilities as first step to upgrade into an international airport is in progress.
The Airfield Environment Management Committee (AEMC) of Imphal Airport in its first meeting since inception has decided to formulate comprehensive planned needed to be implemented to control bird-menace and reduce bird-strike rate at Imphal Airport, an official source said.
The comprehensive plan will be taken up on the basis of keeping the environment of the airport and it’s surrounding clean, use of organic means to control breeding of insects and pests in stagnant water bodies in and around airport. No major incidents related with bird-hits that caused in the operation of the flight reported but statistical data of aircraft movement and the number of bird-hits in last year, 2009 expressed serious concern regarding the frequency of bird-hits, from the operational point of view, the source maintained.
Besides being a serious safety hazard the bird-strikes also heavy financial and logistical implications for aviation related activities which emphasis to have effective ways and means for waste/sewage and garbage disposal for controlling environmental pollution in and around the airport.
Hueiyen News Service
