BENGALURU: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), on Tuesday, commissioned a disabled aircraft recovery equipment said to be the first among Indian airports and the whole of South Asia to own the kit that will enable faster resumption of operations during aircraft incidents on the runways.
According to an official release from the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) which operates KIA, installation of the new equipment has given a boost to runway emergency handling capabilities at Bengaluru airport. The state-of-the-art recovery kit, manufactured by KUNZ GmbH, was inaugurated and commissioned on Tuesday by Hari Marar, managing director and CEO of BIAL. Andreas Fuge, managing director of KUNZ GmbH and Milan R Zatakia, managing director and chairman of Millennium Aero Dynamics Private Ltd were present for the virtual unveiling.
Speaking after the event Hari Marar termed the new addition of Bengaluru airport as an ‘important milestone.’ “Being prepared is the key to running a high-performance airport. This is not only important for the airport, but also for the entire aviation ecosystem as a whole,” he added.
The new kit has been customised with multiple components according to the needs of the KIA including ground preparation tools for aircraft lifting, aircraft emergency towing and tethering for both narrow and wide-bodied aircraft.
Disabled aircraft recovery training Center
The new acquired transportation kit is capable of recovering an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, in addition to all other aircraft during an incident on the runway, ensuring that a runway closure is minimised as a disabled aircraft on the runway has the potential to disrupt airport operations. BIAL had signed an agreement with KUNZ GmbH in 2020 to manufacture, supply, commission and maintain the specialised equipment and as part of this deal, the latter agency will work with Bengaluru airport operators to establish a centre for disabled aircraft recovery training. This will make KIA the first airport in the region to have such a training facility.
The agreement has also facilitated BIAL to constitute a task force that will undergo hands-on training both at Bengaluru airport KUNZ GmbH’s recovery training facility in Germany and a Quick Response Recovery Team (QRRT) will be formed and trained to respond to critical situations, the release said.