MP Ashok Mittal raises aviation safety norms, seeks feasibility report

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and founder-chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU) Phagwara, Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal, raised the issue of civil aviation safety norms in India in the wake of the AI-171 plane crash in the monsoon session of Parliament.

He asked a supplementary question to the first starred question in the Upper House. The crash had happened on June 12, killing 260 persons. Dr Mittal also highlighted a recent incident involving IndiGo flight 6E-2482, an Airbus A320-271 operating on the Delhi–Patna route. During its night landing at Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport in Patna, the aircraft touched down just ahead of the designated touchdown point and had to abort the landing mid-way due to overshooting, before making a second successful attempt.

Citing this incident, D. Mittal pointed out the critical limitations of the Patna airport’s runway, which is currently only 1,617m long — insufficient for both wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777s and 787s, as well as narrow-body jets such as the A320 and B737, which typically require runway lengths between 2,500 to 3,500 m.

The AAP MP questioned the Ministry of Civil Aviation on whether a feasibility study was being conducted to enhance the airport’s infrastructure. He further questioned Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on what steps the government was taking to ensure the safety of landings for larger aircraft.

Responding to the concerns, the minister acknowledged the gravity of the issue and stated that due to the existing land constraints — such as proximity to a clock tower and railway station — future solutions might involve proposals for a new airport altogether.