Function hall lights blinding pilots, Trees, hoardings near airport also jeopardise low-flying aircraft

BY V L Srinivasan

Published on July 12, 2007

Hyderabad: Several flights, including domestic and international, at the Begumpet airport are facing a new problem during nights. Decorative lights and halogen lamps, glaring focused lights at the function halls in the vicinity of the airport are posing a safety hazard to the incoming and outgoing aeroplanes thereby causing danger to the lives of passengers and safety of the aircraft.

These function halls are located within a radius of approximately 2 km from the runway and fall in the approach funnel of Runway 27. With around 100 flights landing and taking off every night and the height level of the aircraft being low while landing and taking off, the factor is considered to be very critical.

Concerned over these decorative lights which include halogen lamps, Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials have requested the State Government to ensure that the lights are removed as ‘‘any disturbance caused to the vision of the pilots will lead to disasters.’’

The State Government, in turn, has directed the North Zone police officials to take ‘‘stringent measures’’ to prevent use of such high upward-facing illuminating halogen lamps and also prevent rocket crackers in the vicinity (within 2-km radius) of the airport. ‘‘We have informed the local police and there is some improvement. But the problem still persists,’’ a senior AAI official told Express.

The AAI had, more than two years ago, also requested the Hyderabad district administration to clear obstacles like trees, hoardings, buildings, antennae and telephone and power lines that are lying in the approach path of Runway 27.

Only a few have been removed and the rest continue to pose problem to aircraft, especially the wide-bodied A 320s, during takeoff and landing. Instead of removing the lamps, the North zone police have directed the owners of the function halls not to focus the lights upwards and cover the decorative and halogen lamps with domes. ‘‘They have followed our instructions and we will ensure that the problem does not arise again,’’ a senior police official said.