Bengaluru airport installs disabled aircraft recovery kit

PTI, Feb 23, 2021, 6:19 PM IST

Mumbai: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday announced the installation of disabled aircraft recovery kit, which will help the airport operator remove a disabled aircraft at the runway, and thereby restoring the operations at the earliest.

The transportable kit is capable of recovering the world’s largest passenger aircraft, Airbus A380, in addition to all other types of planes during an aircraft incident on the runway, ensuring that runway closure is minimised, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the private airport operator managing and running the KIA, said in a release.

The kit, with multiple components, and customised for the Bangalore airport’s requirement, includes ground preparation tools, aircraft lifting, de-bogging, tethering, towing, and all other associated aspects of both narrow- and wide-body aircraft, BIAL said in the release.

Last year, the private airport operator had signed a pact with German aircraft recovery kit maker Kunz GmbH to manufacture, supply, commission and maintain this specialised equipment.

As part of this agreement, KUNZ GmbH will work with BIAL to establish a centre for disabled aircraft recovery training, making the Bangalore Airport the first in the region to have such a facility, as per the release.

Disabled aircraft on the runway has the potential to cripple airport operations, resulting in flight delays, diversions and loss of revenue for both airlines as well as airport operators.

The effective recovery of all types of disabled aircraft in the movement area addresses key risks and ensures that operations, business continuity and organisational resilience remain unaffected, BIAL said.

The Bengaluru airport is the first aerodrome in the country as well as in South Asia to own the state-of-the-art kit.

Till now, only national carrier Air India had this facility in the country.

”The acquisition of this aircraft recovery equipment is an important milestone for us at Bengaluru airport. Being prepared is the key to running a high-performance airport. This is not only important for the airport, but also for the entire aviation ecosystem as a whole,” said Hari Marar, Managing Director and chief executive officer, BIAL.

Under the scope of the agreement with Kunz GmBh, BIAL has constituted a task force that will undergo extensive hands-on training — both at BLR Airport as well as at the German manufacturer’s state-of-the-art recovery training facility in Germany, said the release.

Additionally, a quick response recovery team (QRRT) will be formed and imparted with technical knowledge, enabling them to respond to critical situations, it added.