Mumbai airport commissions specialised disabled aircraft recovery kit

New Delhi: Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said on Monday that it has commissioned a specialised Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK), which will lift and tow aircraft from the operations area in the eventuality of a mishap.

Until now, Tata Group-owned Air India was the only aviation company in the country to have a DARK.

DARK has the ability to swiftly recover an aircraft, including widebody Boeing B777-300, which weighs 390 metric tonnes, it said.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has commissioned a DARK, which will help it minimise disruptions and expedite resumption of operations, the private airport operator said.

The kit allows business continuity and resilience of other airports, it added.

Swift and meticulous interventions are required to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft, and airport operations and the kit will empower airports to respond to such scenarios with precision, thereby minimising disruptions, it said.

"Runway excursion," where an aircraft unintentionally veers off or overruns the runway during take-off or landing, is a critical concern in aviation, according to Mumbai Airport.

It requires swift and meticulous intervention to ensure the safety of passengers, aircraft, and airport operations, it said, adding that the kit, an addition to the airport's infrastructure, empowers it to respond to such scenarios with unparalleled precision and efficiency, hence minimising disruptions and reducing the impact on travellers.

Operating with a single crossover runway, the airport operator can use the DARK facility with high pressure kit for faster movement and to restore runway operations while protecting the aircraft, it said.

The recovery process encompasses a sequence of steps, from ground preparation to aircraft lifting, de-bogging, and towing, it said, adding that the compact design of the equipment enhances its transportability, allowing rescuers to reach the crash site swiftly.

The acquisition of the kit aligns with CSMIA's strategy of resilient airport infrastructure while enhancing passenger experience, as per the statement.

DARK expedites runway operations, minimising flight cancellations and passenger inconveniences, the airport operator stated.

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