A senior aviation safety expert has cautioned against allowing flights to land on a tabletop runway at Kozhikode airport during wet weather conditions.
Capt Mohan Ranganathan, a member of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee in India, said Friday's fatal crash should have been prevented.
An Air India Express Boeing 737 from Dubai to Kerala crash-landed at Kozhikode, formerly Calicut, airport on Friday night.
The plane overshot the airstrip, plunged into an 11-metre gorge and split into two, killing 18 people and injuring more than 100.
"This was a disaster waiting to happen," Capt Ranganathan told The National.
"Runway 10 in Calicut should never be used in a tailwind and when it’s raining.
This was a disaster waiting to happen. Runway 10 in Calicut should never be used in a tailwind and when it's raining
“If the runway is wet it is positively dangerous, so that is why we had voiced our objections and said, 'If you do not prevent that, you are going to have an accident.' We wrote that in 2011.”
Capt Ranganathan was part of an advisory panel set up by India's Civil Aviation Ministry after an Air India Express crash at Mangalore airport in May 2010 killed 158 passengers from Dubai.
He described Mangalore airport as "equally dangerous" with a similar runway on a table top, raising the risk of an aircraft plunging into the gorge if it overshot the runway.
Capt Ranganathan said planes larger than a Boeing 737 or an Airbus 320 should not be allowed to land on Runway 10 at all.
“Both Kozhikode and Mangalore are definitely unsuitable for wide-body aircraft, not just in the rains, at any time,” said Capt Ranganathan.
He said no action was taken on the committee’s recommendations.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation had not responded to Capt Ranganathan's comments.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said an investigation was ongoing. There were 184 passengers and six crew on board when it came down.
The pilot requested permission from air-traffic control to land on Runway 10 instead of Runway 28 in Kozhikode, Indian media reported.
Capt Ranganathan said Runway 28 might not have been an option because of reduced visibility with heavy cloud cover.
He said Runway 10 was not flat and had an insufficient safety buffer.
“It’s like an inverted 'V' with a downslope,” Capt Ranganathan said.
“What we found during the audit is that if an aircraft were to reject take-off it would go off the end of the runway, and there is no way the pilot could stop it because of the slope.”
He said the casualties would have been higher if it were a larger plane.
“It would not be 20 to 150 people dying, it will be about 400 people dying in an accident,” Capt Ranganathan said.
More passengers survived in Kozhikode because the wings did not splinter and start a fire.
In the Mangalore crash a decade ago, also in wet conditions, the plane plunged into a forested valley and burst into flames, with firefighters struggling to reach the site.
“This aircraft also would have caught fire if the wings had broken. But since the wings did not break, there was no fuel spilled,” Capt Ranganathan said.
“In Calicut the drop is only about 30 metres. In Mangalore, the drop was 100 metres The wings broke with the impact and fuel spilt."
Others have called for action to prevent another tragedy.
Dr Azad Moopen, managing director of Aster hospitals in the UAE and India, said the length of the Kozhikode runway was “compromised” and expansion was critical.
Dr Moopen said it was a “miraculous escape” for the passengers.
“Let us not lose any more lives,” he said.
“Calicut Airport has a 9,000-metre tabletop runway, which is not enough for safe landing during inclement weather and poor visibility conditions, especially in the night due to the hilly surroundings.”
Dr Moopen called on state and federal governments to avoid another disaster.
“Political parties and people’s representatives must take this up as top priority, as the government has already decided to acquire the land and the airport authority had agreed to allot the required funds to proceed with runway expansion,” he said.
In the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, sent condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the crash on Friday night.
"You remain in our prayers during these difficult times," Sheikh Mohamed wrote on Twitter.
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The five pillars of Islam
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
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%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Company%C2%A0profile
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The bio:
Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.
Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.
Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.
Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on animal trafficking
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
