Runway Confusion and Aviation Safety Concerns in India

Recent Incident and Historical Context

The Air India incident at Goa’s Mopa airport on December 5, 2024, highlights persistent issues of runway confusion in Indian aviation. The Hyderabad-bound aircraft mistakenly entered a parallel taxiway instead of the main runway, a recurring issue in India’s aviation history.

• Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): Often attributes these incidents to pilot error but fails to implement corrective measures.
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO): Requires member states to investigate and prevent aviation incidents, a mandate inadequately met by India.

Notable Historical Incidents

• 1993: Jet Airways landed at Sulur air base instead of Peelamedu airport.
• 2002: Jet Airways landed on the taxi track in Goa's Dabolim airport.
• 2018: Air India aircraft landed on an under-construction runway in the Maldives.
• 2020: Spicejet had a hard touchdown short of the runway in Guwahati.

Despite the potential for serious consequences, none of these incidents resulted in fatalities.

Systemic Failures and Comparisons

The failure to prevent recurrences of runway confusion is attributed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, and airlines.

• Singapore Airlines' response to a 2000 crash exemplifies successful corrective action, contrasting with India's inadequate measures.

Runway Overrun Accidents

Since 2005, multiple incidents of high and fast approach have resulted in runway overruns.

• 2005: Air Sahara experienced serious damage after overrunning the runway in Mumbai.
• 2019: Spicejet aircraft overran the runway in Mumbai.
• 179 lives lost in Mangaluru and Kozhikode crashes due to overruns.

Blame often falls on pilots rather than training deficiencies or regulatory failures.

Training and Safety Standards

India has inadequate training and safety standards, compounded by regulatory oversights.

• Pilots often face pressure to violate flight time limits and prioritize "on time performance" (OTP).
• In accidents like Kozhikode, "press-on-it-is" mentality resulted in ignoring co-pilot inputs.

Judicial and Regulatory Challenges

Recent deferment of flight and duty time limits due to airline pressure poses a significant safety risk.

• A High Court decision asking DGCA to negotiate highlights judicial misunderstandings of aviation safety issues.