Juhu airport safety runs into a wall...

Aviation is one industry where safety and security are expected to be of the highest standards. As far as airports are concerned, as most of the airports worldwide are state run, although ICAO specifies minimum standards for safety, security and navigation, some leeway is always given depending on the situation.


As an example let us review the security at the Juhu Airport in Mumbai!! This airport is part of civil aviation history in India with JRD Tata landing his Tiger Moth here to fly start Indian aviation. The airport is currently operational for ONGC helicopters and small executive aircraft.

Apparently, anyone can easily enter the operational area of the Airport. For an airport like Surat (STV) rules are very rigid and to be followed to the full stop but when it comes to any other airport run by the same operator, the regulators look the other way. The image shows a breach in perimeter giving easy access to a sanitized operational area. http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/Juhu-airport-safety-runs-into-a-wall/articleshow/47994391.cms

PC-Mumbai Mirror 9 July 2015

In ICAO manuals there are two words predominantly used that indicate level of rigidity for adherence to the rules.

• Shall: Wherever the word shall is used, it means there is no room for deviation from what has been the minimum prescribed criteria. However, for certain airports, mainly those operating in hostile terrains, government authorities may at their discretion allow deviations while maintaining some standards for safety.
• Should: The word should is more as a suggestion and it is desirable that compliance should be full.

In India, the state run authorities treats all airports as operating in hostile terrains and Surat happens to be the only airport operating under the most suitable conditions. Therefore there is 100% rigidity for Surat and a lot of flexibility for the others while allowing flight operations.