The construction of an extended Runway End Safety Area (RESA) is currently under way at the Calicut International Airport, Karipur. According to Airport Director Muneer Madampat, 22 % of the work has completed.
Although the project is scheduled to be completed by March next year, the construction company, Gawar Construction Ltd., has sought an extension of three months because of the delay caused by the rain.
The RESA is being extended from 90 meters to 240 meters to enhance safety for the tabletop runway. This extension aims to prevent accidents like the Air India Express flight tragedy on August 7, 2020, which resulted in 21 fatalities and over 100 injuries.
A distant view of the runway end safety area extension work at Karipur.
The aircraft from Dubai overshot the runway and plunged into a depth of more than 40 ft. Experts who investigated the 2020 accident pointed out that a longer RESA could have prevented the tragedy. Since that accident, large flights are not being operated from the airport.
