Editorial 1: Airports where pilots could fear to land

Context

In the expansion plans at Chennai airport and the greenfield project at Parandur, there are runway safety issues that cannot be brushed aside.

Introduction

On October 25, 2024, there was an incident involving a Qatar Airways Boeing 787 that was operating as a scheduled flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Doha, Qatar. After landing and taxiing at slow speed to the assigned bay, the plane’s right main landing gear sank into a ramp area, which in turn collapsed. As the plane’s main landing gear wheels had sunk in deep, the right engine made contact with the ground and sustained damage. It is fortunate that the incident did not happen on the runway or on the taxi track when the plane would have been at a higher speed.

What are the structural concerns in Doha airport construction?

• Contractor’s initial recommendation: Social media posts indicate that a Japanese company contracted to build the airport at Doha —
  • most of it is on reclaimed land — had suggested that the whole area would need to be concreted as the soil was not strong enough to handle the stress that would be induced by heavy aircraft movement.
• Cost-cutting decision: As the cost was prohibitive, a cheaper option was chosen.
  • It is surprising that a cash-rich country would cut costs on an important infrastructure project that is one of the most important in the fast growing aviation scene.
• Comparison with other reclaimed land airports: Singapore’s Changi airport, Hong Kong’s new airport at Chek Lap Kok island, and Male airport (the Maldives) are built on reclaimed land and have been functioning and expanding rapidly.
  • They have not encountered the kind of problem seen at Doha.
• Qatar’s response to structural issues: However, it is certain that Qatar will leave no stone unturned in correcting any deficiency found in the airport operational area constructions.

Chennai airport’s expansion

• Similarities with Chennai airport expansion Issues: People may not be aware of the original expansion plan of Chennai airport that had been proposed in 2007.
  • The design project was originally given to the firm, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) involved in the requirements.
• Initial soil testing and project concerns by L&T : Under the plan, a parallel runway to the existing main runway was to be constructed, and the old secondary runway was to be extended across the Adyar river (which flows near the airport area), with a bridge to connect the two runways.
  • L&T carried out the soil testing for the bridge to be built across the river, which would hold the taxi track and the area assigned for the parallel runway.
  • It appears that the firm found the soil for the area required for the parallel runway to be unsuitable, and the proposal for a parallel runway was dropped.
• Project changes and contractor shifts: The AAI then proposed that the taxi track across the river be converted into the extended secondary runway and that L&T needed to do fresh soil testing for the expanded project.
  • For reasons best known to L&T and the AAI, L&T dropped out of the project.
  • Instead, the project was awarded to an unknown construction company, Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited (CCCL), which, at that stage, had no experience of building even a road bridge.
• The AAI claims: that the bridge construction design had been approved by IIT Madras. This writer has a letter from the Head of the Department of Structural Engineering, IIT Madras, stating that they had only validated the numbers given by the AAI.

Safety violations, unaddressed issues

• Environmental clearance details: In the Environment Clearance No. 10-140/2007-IA-III dt. 25/8/- 1,  it was indicated by the AAI that the runway bridge, with a
  • span of 200 metres by 415m and a structural grid of 20 mx10m,
  • on a RCC column of 1.2m diameter and 1.4m high above a high floodline, would be constructed on the Adyar river.
• Flood level discrepancy: The flood level in earlier floods was 13m and so the bottom of the bridge should have been 14.4m above mean sea level.
  • The pillars supporting the bridge across the Adyar were to be 1.2m in diameter, but the pillars constructed are 0.86m in diameter
  • The area that the bridge was to occupy was 200m x 417m but it was stretched to 617m.
  • The most serious violation was the caveat that the bridge had to be built 1.4m higher than the flood level of the Adyar river in the earlier floods.
  • But the bridge has been built four metres below the permitted level.
• Impact of Structural Shortcomings During 2015 Floods: gushing water flow in the Adyar river was blocked by this structure, resulting in an accelerated water flow through the lower portion of the secondary runway.
  • This resulted in the Coast Guard hanger, private aircraft parked on the tarmac and also an Army bridge near the Indian Army’s Officers Training Academy (which is next to the airport) being destroyed.
  • The floods in 2015 were blamed on the delayed opening of the sluice gates of Chembarambakkam lake (one of Chennai’s water supply sources) which lies 14 kilometres west of the airport.
• Environmentalists point of view: say the water discharge from Chembarambakkam contributes only around 30% of the water flow in the Adyar river,
  • with the rest from overflow from flooded waterbodies further west such as Mudichur, Sriperumbudur and Parandur (the planned site of Chennai’s second airport)

The recent floods and future Concerns

• We have seen what Chennai and the surroundings went through during the deluges in 2021 and 2023 and weather pundits expect extreme weather events ahead.
• These events further emphasize the need for rigorous structural standards to mitigate future flood impacts.
• The AAI completed the Chennai runway extension more than 12 years ago and the AAI claims that it is designed for Airbus A380 operations.
• Recently, in a review of operations at Chennai airport, a Cabinet Minister in the Tamil Nadu government said that efforts are on to get Code F aircraft (much larger widebody aircraft such as the A380) to operate to Chennai.
• To operate such aircraft, you need a runway and taxi track width of 60m.
• This would need even wider spacing from the existing main runway.
• The runways in Chennai are only 45m wide. If one applies the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization, no Code F plane can operate. Can the AAI explain why no widebody aircraft can operate on the secondary runway, even though it was completed 12 years ago?

A greenfield project

• Proposed site and land acquisition: The plan here is for the acquisition of 4,000 acres of land for a new international airport which is an area rich in waterbodies.
  • To have such an airport built to international standards, soil testing and concreting of the entire area will have to be done in order to operate large aircraft.
• Environmental and flooding implications: Covering 4,000 acres, including a depth of at least 4m in concrete, would inevitably disrupt the natural waterbodies in Parandur.
  • This raises critical concerns about flood risk, as water from these destroyed waterbodies would need to find alternative flow paths.
  • In an era of climate change and unpredictable weather patterns, the potential consequences of such large-scale land alteration could be severe, especially in flood-prone region
• Economic Viability and Public Impact: Reflecting on the abandoned parallel runway project at Chennai airport, there is a concern that significant public funds could be invested in a potentially unsustainable project.
  • The environmental and financial costs of building an airport on reclaimed land are significant, highlighting the need for careful cost-benefit evaluation.

What are the aircraft impact and structural demands?

• To constructing runways capable of handling large aircraft involves designing for high impact and twisting forces
  • In simple terms, ‘g’ is the acceleration due to gravity. So, a 2g landing for an aircraft that weighs 400 tons is equivalent to the weight on its wheels of an impact of 800 tons.
  • Apart from such an impact, if an aircraft lands when there is a strong crosswind, the wheels, rather than being straight, may be at 30°-45° angle to the runway.
• On touchdown, the aircraft’s wheels straighten as the aircraft moves along the runway.
  • The runway surface, apart from the impact of the aircraft, will also be subject to a twisting force.
• Building an airport on land with waterbodies is a specialized field that demands expertise in soil and structural engineering, with a deep understanding of operational pressures.
• There has to be a professional in charge who has good knowledge on how to design a runway and operational area structures, and who also has knowledge of operational issues.
• With recent instances of bridge collapses across India, public safety remains a crucial concern especially for such large infrastructure projects.

Conclusion

Bengaluru has now established itself as the aviation gateway to the south, a position Chennai once held. Tamil Nadu has lost its premium gateway position because of procrastination, bad planning and design. The fact is also that inflated numbers projecting rising air passenger numbers in Tamil Nadu cannot conceal the truth. Passenger numbers have not even touched 40% of their original projections. It seems to be a case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread.

Editorial 2: The BRICS summit boost to India-Iran ties

Context

Energy cooperation and defence ties are just some of the possibilities that exist to strengthen a stagnating partnership

Introduction

At the 16th BRICS Summit hosted by Russia in Kazan (October 22-24, 2024), there were a few meetings on the sidelines which created a buzz. One such meeting was between India and Iran, both close civilisational friends and looking to strengthen a stagnating partnership. Iran, which is now embroiled in the war in Gaza, is looking for Indian support in de-escalating the crisis. India, too, has supported having a ceasefire and de-escalation at the earliest. Globally, India is being widely sought after to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict as it enjoys trust and goodwill across both ends of the conflict, with Israel and Iran.

Much potential

• Bilateral  meeting overview: The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian was the first time that the leaders have met.
• Key points from the meeting:  During the meeting, they acknowledged the strong and untapped potential in the bilateral relationship.
  • Mr. Pezeshkian appreciated India’s growing role in the world and underlined its potential role in de-escalating the Gaza conflict.
  • He also acknowledged the key role played by India in 2023 in Iran’s entry into key multilateral organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS.
  • Both sides also discussed the possibilities of strengthening cooperation in key areas such as the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
• Iran’s importance for India: It goes well beyond the Chabahar port and the connectivity options that it provides.
  • Iran is vitally important due to its vast reserves of crude oil and natural gas.
    • Its total oil reserves are estimated at 209 billion barrels and that of natural gas at 33,988 billion cubic metres, which at the end of 2021, accounted for 24% of the oil reserves of West Asia and 12% of the world.
    • Despite crippling economic sanctions and the ongoing war in Gaza, Iran’s crude production in May 2024 rose to 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) while crude oil exports in March 2024 averaged 1.61 million bpd.

Options for a closer partnership

• Importance of the Chabahar port: has been the driving force of the bilateral relationship in recent times.
  • In a deal signed on May 13 this year, India and Iran signed a 10-year contract for the operation of the port.
• Geographical Advantages: Chabahar port also provides easy and short access to India’s Kandla and Mumbai ports.
  • As it is located outside the Strait of Hormuz, it insulates India’s trade from any threat of closure of sea lanes due to conflicts in the Persian Gulf region.
• Infrastructure Development: In addition, a railway link of 700 km between Chabahar and Zahedan city is being fast-tracked, to be connected later to the railway network of Iran.
  • A further road link from Zahedan to Zaranj in Afghanistan could provide seamless connectivity for humanitarian aid from India to Afghanistan.
• Energy supply opportunities: Energy supplies are the next big possibility.
  • Before May 2019, Iran met almost 12% of India’s crude oil needs.
  • As bilateral ties take better shape, oil and gas imports could re-commence from Iran which could then open up a new range of possibilities to fulfil India’s energy needs.
• The ambitious Iran-Oman-India: gas pipeline has been under discussion since 1993. In May 2022, Iran and Oman agreed to develop two undersea gas pipelines and an oil field along their maritime borders.
  • If this materialises, extending these to India could be an option.
• Military Cooperation Prospects: Close military cooperation with Iran is also a possibility.

• The two countries had signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2001 but nothing came of it, mainly due to western sanctions on Iran.
• In recent years, Iran has developed modern weapons platforms such as
  • short and medium range ballistic missiles,
  • hypersonic missiles, and
  • armed drones.
• Iran is already supplying armed drones to Russia in its war with Ukraine. India too is looking to develop cheap and effective armed drones and could find an effective partner in Iran.
• Counterterrorism and naval cooperation: To combat the threat of terror groups operating from Pakistan, India and Iran could conduct joint counterterrorism exercises and develop intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
  • On the naval front, port calls at Iranian ports and the development of logistical facilities in the Persian Gulf could prove extremely useful.

Way Forward

Aspects of Indian diplomacy

• Cooperation needed: India and Iran can achieve a lot together. There is recognition that too much time has already been lost.
• Strategic Engagement: India’s ability to de-hyphenate ties and engage independently with nations that are adversarial to each other, such as Iran and Israel, could be useful in driving the ties.
  • Also, India’s decision to exercise strategic autonomy in issues of national interest, as seen in its engagement with Russia during the Ukraine war, is a useful precedent to invigorate ties with Iran.
• Challenges to relationship: However, many a time, stray and ‘out of context’ comments have threatened to apply the brakes on ties.
  • A statement by Iran’s Supreme Leader on September 16 this year, comparing the “sufferings” of Indian Muslims to the residents of Gaza, drawing sharp comments from India.

Conclusion

Both countries have to realise that the bilateral relationship is far more important and precious to be derailed by such stray comments. India, under Modi 3.0, is looking to strengthen India’s outreach and strategic convergence in West Asia. Similarly, Iran is looking to consolidate its diplomatic gains of recent years and considers India to be an important partner. The meeting at the BRICS Summit may have just given the right impetus for both. Thus, strengthening ties is essential for mutual benefits and stability.