New Delhi: In yet another low for aviation safety in the country, a hydraulic trolley carrying food items hit the prime minister’s special aircraft on Thursday, a couple of hours before he was scheduled to take off for Copenhagen for the climate meet. The accident caused minor damage to the aircraft, forcing Manmohan Singh and his entourage to delay departure.
The flight was originally scheduled to take off at 2.45pm, but finally left at 5.30 pm.
The prime minister had not yet boarded the aircraft at the time, but that the mishap occurred even amidst elaborate security is a reflection of the slipping security standards in Indian aviation. Consider this: Hours before any prime ministerial trip, a Boeing 747 aircraft is modified and isolated at a special secure zone of the Delhi airport.
Thereafter, the aircraft’s security and movements around it are controlled by the special protection group.
Over the past few months, there have been a series of mishaps involving high-profile aircraft; president Pratibha Patil’s special chopper has had two close shaves, the latest when its blades hit a shed in Bhubaneswar.
“A technical team is looking into the matter. It is a minor accident but they want to take extra precaution, “said a PMO official.
Originally, Singh was scheduled to leave in a smaller aircraft along with his official team to send a message on improving India’s carbon footprint. However, after the mishap, the prime minister left on the regular Air India flight.
Experts feel that the increasing amount of accidents involving VVIP aircraft is disturbing. “Such incidents point to problems in safety standards. This proves that a proper selection process is not being followed at airports. All the drivers and suppliers, including other ground staff, should be properly trained and then selected to avoid worse mishaps,” said Captain A Raghunathan, aviation safety consultant.
–Agencies–