Plane crash: Authorities to survey areas around Ahmedabad airport to check height norm violations

Ahmedabad: Authorities will conduct a survey of the areas surrounding the Ahmedabad airport, in the wake of last week's Air India plane crash that claimed 270 lives, to check whether any structures were violating height norms and posing a threat to aircraft safety, an official said on Thursday.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 persons on board crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after it took off from the city airport in the afternoon of June 12. The ghastly air crash and subsequent fire killed 270 persons, including passengers, crew members and people on the ground.

"As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s guidelines, a survey of areas surrounding the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here will be conducted by the officials of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the Civil Aviation department," Ahmedabad District Collector Sujeet Kumar told reporters.

"Once the survey gets over, subsequent necessary work will be initiated," he said.

He cited the draft Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, issued by the civil aviation ministry, to tighten controls on structures that pose a threat to aircraft safety near airports.

The draft rules aim to empower authorities to take immediate action against buildings, trees, or other objects that violate prescribed height limits in designated aerodrome zones. Officials can issue notices to such buildings and initiate action for height reduction or demolition.

"The work of the survey will be carried out in a prescribed time. The area of survey around the airport will be decided by the civil aviation team," Kumar said.

Survey teams will be formed soon, he said.

In the last week's tragedy, the aircraft departed from the Ahmedabad airport at 1.39 pm and its pilot issued a 'Mayday' distress call, denoting a full emergency, soon after take-off to the Air Traffic Control at Ahmedabad. Moments later, the plane smashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.

All but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board the ill-fated plane and another 29 persons, including five MBBS students of B J Medical College, on the ground were killed.