Amid series of airport accidents, experts call for building regulations
The fatal roof collapse at Terminal-1 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport last month has brought to light the fragility of India's airport infrastructure. Experts have flagged the lack of adequate oversight citing that at least eight similar incidents were reported nationwide in the past six years. Aviation safety experts have flagged that there is currently no authority to certify airport buildings as fit for use, which leads to a significant accountability gap.
No regulatory oversight in infrastructure maintenance
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, there are no civil aviation rules (CAR) granting the aviation security wing, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), or the sector regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the authority to audit airport buildings, whether they are maintained privately or by the government-run Airports Authority of India (AAI),
Series of structural failures at Indian airports
There have been several incidents of infrastructure failure at Indian airports recently. On June 27, a portion of the new terminal roof at Jabalpur airport collapsed, crushing a car but causing no injuries. On June 29, the canopy outside Rajkot airport, Gujarat collapsed amid heavy rain, with no injuries reported. On June 30, moderate rain caused water leakage from the roof of Lucknow airport's newly-inaugurated Terminal-3. In May, Bengaluru airport's new T-2 also saw water leakage due to heavy rain.
Industry experts call for changes to civil aviation rules
Industry experts are advocating for changes to civil aviation rules to mandate regular structural audits of airport buildings. A former AAI official told the HT there is need for resilient infrastructure, adding, "The increasing frequency and severity of natural calamities due to climate change necessitate a focus on building more resilient infrastructure."
Experts advocate for usage of advanced design practices
According to the HT report, a former airport official, suggested that using advanced materials, technologies, and design practices could reduce the impact of future disasters on airport buildings. In these situations, passengers suffer the most, whether due to water leaks or terminal shutdowns following roof collapses. Therefore, they should receive adequate compensation, a practice that is currently lacking in India, the report added.
