High Court issues directive on Mangalore Airport license renewal

High Court issues directive on Mangalore Airport license renewal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, September 24: According to a High Court directive, Kalyan Basavaraj, the assistant solicitor general of India, has to submit various details regarding to the status of the renewal of the Mangalore Airport license. The directive follows a hearing on a PIL filed by G. R. Mohan, a Bangalore-based advocate by a division bench comprising Justice H. S. Kempanna and D. V. Shylendra Kumar.

 

 

The bench has also directed Mr. Basavaraj to obtain instructions from the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) about renewing the license of Mangalore Airport.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had earlier held that the Mangalore Airport license had expired on June 15 just a few days after the ill-fated Air India Express Boeing 747 bound from Dubai to Mangalore crashed into Kenjar Valley, killing 158 of its passengers and crew. A visibly upset Justice Kumar wanted to know who permitted the airport to run without a license.

Bangalore-based advocate G. R. Mohan had filed a PIL, in which he had complained against the carelessness, irresponsibility, and callousness of the AAI while renewing airport licenses. The PIL also urges the concerned authorities to strictly follow the Aircraft Act and other rules while renewing airport licenses and seeks the intervention of the High Court to prevent the AAI from operating the Mangalore International Airport at Bajpe.