Ahmedabad among airports facing safety risks due to dense urban surroundings: Study

It has been a month since the Air India plane from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPI) en route to London crashed soon after takeoff. The crash occurred in a residential area, resulting in the death of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 19 on the ground at the B J Medical Hostel. This incident has reignited debates over the need for having airports located far from densely populated urban areas. 

A 2022 study named, ‘You’re Surrounded! Measuring the Enclosure of Airports’, has ranked the world’s top 50 airports most affected by urbanisation, and Ahmedabad is included in the list.

The study included eight airports from India among the top 50. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport topped the global list, while Ahmedabad airport was ranked 12th. 

Geographers Tais Grippa and Frédéric Dobruszkes prepared the report based on the population density within a 15-kilometre radius of the airports. The higher the density around an airport, the greater the risk of casualties in the event of a plane crash. Residents living near airports are also exposed to higher levels of noise and air pollution.

Taking these factors into account, Mumbai airport received an ‘Enclosure Index’ score of 21,82,819, while Ahmedabad received a score of 10,82,503. 

During the AI171 plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, the Civil Hospital in Asarwa was very close to the crash site, and New Laxminagar Housing Colony was only 250 metres away. Residents near the airport have been living in fear since the crash.

According to the former general manager of Fire Services at the Airports Authority of India, rapid development around Ahmedabad has pushed aside the norm of maintaining a 3-kilometre buffer zone around the airport. 

Urban planning standards suggest that a densely populated zone should not exist within a 20-kilometre radius of airports. However, few airports comply with this regulation. For new airports, authorities now recommend maintaining an open space of 6 to 8 kilometres around the facility.

Ahmedabad airport was built in 1937, at a time when the city’s population was around 3.10 lakh. In comparison, the current population of Ahmedabad is close to 93 lakh. When the airport was established in 1938, the surrounding area was sparsely inhabited. Now, plans are underway to build a new airport in Dholera, located 110 kilometres from Ahmedabad.