`Leopards, pythons take a walk at Jabalpur airport

A damaged plane after wild boars hit it on the runway at Jabalpur airport on December 4.
Move over Masai Mara, regional Indian airports can give this Kenyan game reserve a run for money any day when it comes to wildlife. 

A joint team of SpiceJet and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials went to inspect the Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh last week to investigate a serious accident caused by wild boars straying on the runway when the budget carrier's turboprop landed there on December 4. Just as the team was getting ready to examine the runway and its nearby areas for breaches in boundary wall, it was warned by local staff against doing so. 


The reason: "They were told that even leopards and pythons stray there sometimes. So going there could be dangerous," said a highly placed source. 

A senior DGCA official, who has seen the Jabalpur incident report, said there is a wildlife park next to the airport. "There were some breaches in the boundary wall. A senior DGCA official, who has seen the Jabalpur incident report, said there is a wildlife park next to the airport. "There were some breaches in the boundary wall. So it is possible for all wildlife in the park to enter the runway and adjoining areas. Therefore warnings to remain careful of big cats are understandable," said the official. 

Incidentally , SpiceJet -which is the largest operator of small regional jets that fly to small cities -has been the biggest victim of wildlife hits. Before the Jabalpur incident, one of its planes was badly damaged in Surat last November when it hit a buffalo during take off. "The problem is more severe in small town airports and since SpiceJet flies to several small towns, it has been the worst hit Indian carrier. Luckily so far only planes have been damaged and there have been no passenger casualties," said a senior DGCA official. 

The pilot of the SpiceJet flight hit in Jabalpur told au thorities that the boars were walking in a line across the runway when he landed and there was no way he could have avoided them by swerving around, said sources. 

SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh told TOI on Monday: "How can you have wildlife at runways? We have decided not to fly to any airport where wildlife sightings happen at the runway or operational areas. We have suffered extensive damage to two of our aircraft and cannot take any chances with passenger safety ." 

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