All issues red-flagged by DGCA in past addressed by Kozhikode airport: Puri

All issues such as excessive rubber deposits, water stagnation and cracks that were red-flagged by aviation regulator DGCA in the past were “addressed and rectified” by the Kozhikode airport operator, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday.

The minister’s statement came after various news reports stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a show cause notice to the director of the Kozhikode airport on July 11 last year after it found “various critical safety lapses” in different places, including the runway and the apron.

“It is indeed a fact that several issues were routinely red-flagged by DGCA, and were addressed by the (Kozhikode) airport operator. These pertain to excessive rubber deposits, water stagnation, cracks and other routine issues,” Puri tweeted a day after the plane crash in Kozhikode that claimed at least 18 lives.