The
AAI has agreed to continue to provide on hire the Crash Fire Tender, which was
given on loan basis to the Indian Navy, for a few more months.
The Navy, which mans the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the
Visakhapatnam airport, has only two CFTs at its disposal. Three CFTs are
required to upgrade the ‘fire services category’ at the airport from ‘6’ to
‘7’. The Visakhapatnam – Dubai Air India flight (via Hyderabad) was launched on
March 25 last year. Category ‘7’ is essential for operation of the large bodied
aircraft like A-321.
In view of the urgency, AAI requisitioned one CFT from Hyderabad
and gave it to the Navy on loan basis. The loan agreement had expired, but the
Navy failed to acquire a third CFT. The AAI wanted to take back its CFT to
Hyderabad.
Air Travellers’ Association (India) president D. Varada Reddy
took the issue to the notice of MP T. Subbarami Reddy and the latter convinced
the AAI authorities in New Delhi to extend the CFT loan facility by a few more
months. The Navy is expected to procure its own CFT by March.
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