Experts call for building regulations amid series of airport accidents

What is the story

The tragic roof collapse of Terminal 1 at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi last month exposed the fragility of India’s airport infrastructure.

Experts highlighted the lack of proper oversight, citing the fact that at least eight similar incidents have been reported across the country in the past six years.

Aviation safety experts have pointed out that there is currently no body that can certify airport buildings as fit for use, leading to a significant accountability gap.

Lack of regulatory oversight over infrastructure maintenance

According to the report in Hindustan TimesThere are no Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) that give the aviation security authority, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), or the sector regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the authority to conduct audits of airport buildings, whether they are privately maintained or run by the government-run Civil Aviation Authority of India (AAI).

Series of structural failures at Indian airports

There have been several incidents related to infrastructure failures at Indian airports recently.

On June 27, part of the roof of the new terminal at Jabalpur airport collapsed, crushing a car, but no one was injured.

On June 29, a roof at the airport in Rajkot, Gujarat, collapsed due to heavy rain; no one was injured.

On June 30, moderate rain caused water to leak from the roof of the newly opened Terminal 3 at Lucknow airport.

In May, heavy rains also led to a water leak on the new T-2 section of the Bengaluru airport.

Industry experts call for changes to civil aviation regulations

Industry experts are advocating for changes to civil aviation regulations that would require regular structural audits of airport buildings.

A former AAI official said: HT there is a need for resilient infrastructure, adding, “The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters due to climate change requires a focus on building more resilient infrastructure.”

Infrastructure regulation

Experts advocate for advanced design practices

According to HT In the report, a former airport official suggested that the use of advanced materials, technologies and design practices could reduce the impact of future disasters on airport buildings.

In such situations, it is the passengers who suffer the most – whether due to water leakage or the closure of the terminal due to a roof collapse.

Therefore, they should be given adequate compensation, which is currently lacking in India, the report added.