JOIN USKIA to acquire Disabled Aircraft Recovery Equipment
To enhance operational capabilities and reduce downtime during runway emergencies, the Kempegowda International Airport has inked a deal to acquire a specialised Disabled Aircraft Recovery Equipment (DARE).
Once supplied, KIA will become the country’s first airport with the capability to effect recovery of aircraft up to the Code F category. This will help faster resumption of operations during aircraft incidents on the airport’s two runways.
KIA’s operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), has entered into an agreement with KUNZ GmbH to manufacture, supply, commission and maintain DARE.
As part of this agreement, KUNZ GmbH agreed to jointly establish a centre for disabled aircraft recovery training with BIAL. “This will make KIA the first in the region to have such a facility, which will develop and expand the skill set in India,” says a BIAL spokesperson.
BIAL chief operating officer Thomas Hoff Anderson explains that the equipment would boost KIA’s operational capability during runway emergencies. “At a time when the aviation industry in India is growing at an unprecedented rate, DARE will ensure that the impact to operations is minimal if there is an incident on the runway.”
Disabled aircraft on the runway could cripple airport operations, triggering flight delays, diversions and loss of revenue for both airlines as well as airport operators. The effective recovery of all types of disabled aircraft in the movement area is expected to ensure that operations, business continuity and organisational resilience remain unaffected.
As part of the agreement, BIAL has constituted a team of recovery managers who will undergo extensive hands-on training at KUNZ GmbH’s recovery training facility in Germany. Additionally, a Quick Response Recovery Team will be formed and imparted with technical knowledge to respond to critical situations.
The kit to be supplied, with multiple components and customised according to KIA’s requirement, will include ground preparation tools, aircraft lifting, de-bogging and tethering, towing among others