Over 600 high-rise obstacles flagged near Lucknow Airport yet birds pose bigger risk: AAI survey
By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) is facing a serious aviation safety crisis, with two persistent threats increasingly putting aircraft, passengers, and crew at risk.
Aviation experts warn that unless immediate corrective action is taken, the city could be on the brink of a disaster akin to the recent Ahmedabad Dreamliner tragedy.
The first and most pressing hazard arises from frequent bird activity dangerously close to flight paths. Over 40 meat shops within a 3-kilometre radius of the airport are reportedly dumping organic waste in the open, drawing large flocks of kites and crows, particularly during early morning and evening flight windows.
These scavenging birds create high-risk conditions for aircraft, especially during takeoff and landing.
“One bird strike to an engine at the wrong moment can lead to catastrophic failure,” warned an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official, referencing the January 2023 incident when an AirAsia flight from Lucknow to Kolkata suffered a bird strike during takeoff.
Although the aircraft landed safely, the event served as a stark reminder of the underlying threat. Current mitigation measures, such as using firecrackers to deter birds, remain largely ineffective due to poor enforcement of waste disposal regulations and illegal meat vending practices.
Compounding the threat is unchecked vertical encroachment. A recent AAI survey, released in the aftermath of the Ahmedabad crash, has identified 624 obstacles within a 20-kilometre radius of CCSIA, including unauthorized high-rise buildings, transmission towers exceeding 170 meters, and even non-compliant mosque loudspeakers.
Notably, 319 buildings and 214 trees are violating obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) norms designed to protect aircraft during approach and departure phases.
Despite mandatory height restrictions between 155 to 205 meters in areas up to 9.1 km from the airport, illegal structures continue to sprout due to sluggish enforcement and poor coordination between urban planning and aviation safety authorities.
The process of identifying, regulating, or demolishing these obstructions has been slow, raising concerns about systemic negligence.
“The coexistence of hazardous bird activity and rampant vertical encroachment is a recipe for aviation disaster,” said a former civil aviation director. “Air safety cannot be compromised. Immediate inter-agency coordination and strict implementation of safety norms are imperative.”
Aviation professionals and safety regulators are urging the urgent relocation of the meat shops, proper waste management, and rapid removal of unauthorized structures. Without decisive intervention, they warn, Lucknow’s skies may not remain safe for much longer.
