20.5.10

Somewhere in Lakshadweep....

India is all set to get its first bridge-on-sea runway. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed to extend the runway at Agatti island by building a 1,000-footlong bridge on the sea and link it to the existing 4,500-feet-long runway of the airport. This technological marvel, along with a new terminal building, is expected to be built at a cost of Rs 150 crore within two years of getting the Lakshadweep administration’s nod. At present, ATRs operate to Agatti. But the small airstrip means there’s a load penalty, or in simple terms the 70-seater plane cannot have more than 48 passengers to remain light enough and operate on the available 4,500 feet. Once the runway is 5,500 feet, ATRs can operate to capacity and Canadian Regional Jets can also fly in, said a senior official. In fact, the bridge-on-sea has emerged as the greener option to the original AAI plan of linking Agatti with the next island by connecting the sea in between in the direction of the runway. The idea then was to make the runway long enough to accommodate the big Boeing 737s and Airbus A-320s. This plan did not get environmental clearance as there’s a turtle colony in the direction of the runway where land was proposed to be reclaimed, said sources.

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