Baramati airstrip
The latest incident occurred on Aug 9, when a Carver Aviation training aircraft veered off the runway.
Deepak Kapoor, MADC vice-chairman and managing director, said, “The first phase will include runway recarpeting, construction of runway safety areas, ground grading, boundary wall, air traffic control (ATC) tower and a prefabricated technical block. A fire station, emergency room and CCTV surveillance network will also be established.
The runway was last recarpeted in March 2016, leaving faded markings and loose gravel on its surface.
The approved works are expected to address several of these deficiencies, with the proposed night-landing facility forming part of the state govt’s broader development plans for the airstrip, MADC sources said. The preliminary report of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the fatal Learjet crash flagged several shortcomings in the airfield’s infrastructure and safety arrangements. The report also noted the absence of an in-house aircraft rescue and firefighting unit. Further, there was no boundary wall around the runway, while the existing fencing was inadequate and did not cover the entire aerodrome.