CHENNAI: Airports Authority of India (AAI) is now forcing reluctant airlines to land planes on the truncated second runway, though it does not have an instrument landing system at Chennai airport.

The runway was opened to traffic in May but airlines have since refused to land flights because pilots have to look out of the cockpit to guide the planes to the runway. Though the runway was extended across Adyar River at a cost of 550crore, AAI did not factor in land needed to install instrument landing system - an equipment that allows pilot of an approaching aircraft to home in on a runway with precision.
AAI wants airlines to land planes on the second runway when main runway is closed for maintenance in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

A circular issued to airlines said they should cancel flight plans filed using instrument approach procedures of ICAO and request for visual approach to land on the second runway as planes near Chennai airport.
"This puts the onus of safety on the airlines and pilots. This is an unnecessary risk while landing with 180 passengers and a load of cargo in the hold ," said a senior pilot.
The circular also said flights that do not want to land on the second runway will have to on hold till main runway is made available for operations after maintenance on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
As private airlines have refused to comply, AAI is now trying to put pressure on Air India to fall in line in the hope that others will follow suit. Airlines do not want to take a risk because AAI wants to show that the second runway is being used at the airport," said an official.
"During visual approach a pilot needs to be aware of all the obstacles (there are a few obstacles that are yet to be removed), hills and other factors while bringing in a plane for touchdown," said a pilot of a private airline.
A senior AAI official said instructions in the circular were in line with ICAO rule which said pilot-in-command should say that he is changing to visual range and that ATC should acknowledge. "There were no violations forced on airlines," he added.
Mohan Ranganathan, air safety expert and member of DGCA's safety council said: "More than 70% of landing accidents take place during non-precision approaches. Pilots are right in declining to land on a runway which does not conform to ICAO standards without an ILS. It would take just one overrun on runway 12 to cause the biggest aviation disaster in history."
AAI is now trying out a VOR (VHF Omnidirectional range) a short-range radio navigation for Trident-end of the second runway so that aircraft will be able to use the runway when the main runway is closed for maintenance. However, this is not a precision approach.