Chennai: Airport takes steps to ensure smooth operation of flights during rainy days

CHENNAI: With the northeast monsoon round the corner, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken steps to prevent the rain and strong winds from impacting flight operations at Chennai airport. Pilots have been told to be cautious while flying down to the city airport.
Learning a lesson from the 2015 flood, AAI has desilted and cleaned all the drains and stormwater drains that crisscross the 1,301acre campus that carry storm water from neighbourhoods around the airport to Adyar river that run on the western side of the airport. An official said that a series of steps had been taken and work began weeks ago.
“Low lying areas in the basic strip of runways are filled and levelled, height of grass near the runways and taxiways is reduced, light materials at the airside are being kept in intact, proper parking and locking of ground handling equipment, mooring of lighter or smaller aircraft and passenger boarding bridges are some of the measures that have been implemented.”