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Pilots body threatens to stop operations to Patna

Two days after the Centre had warned the Bihar government that Patna Airport would be shut down if steps were not taken to improve safety, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association on Friday threatened to stop operations in the 'near future'.

Indian Airlines pilots belonging to ICPA have undertaken a signature campaign to stop flights to Patna 'due to unsafe operational conditions'.

Though the runway was 6,900 feet long, the effective length available was only 5,500 feet owing to the tall trees on one side and high tension electric wires on the other, resulting in the threshold [landing spot] being displaced, the ICPA said in a statement on Friday.

Pointing out the difficulty during landing, the ICPA said with a full load of 145 passengers in an A-320, pilots have been left with no margin making it necessary for them to 'duck under' (a landing technique used) to do a spot landing.

It said some of the pilots on their own have been operating to Patna under protest as 'it is their pilots's licence, which is at stake every time he goes in and out of Patna airport'. IA daily operates A-320 flight from Delhti-Patna-Ranchi, while Alliance Air flies Boeing 737s from Delhi-Kolkata via Patna.

Related Report:
Bihar govt takes steps to improve Patna airport

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