AAI Acts to Seal Boundary Wall Gaps at Surat Airport After Animal Intrusions

Surat | Gujarat — After years of neglect over the repeated incidents of animal intrusions on the operational area of Surat airport and risking the safety of the aircrafts and passengers, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has finally woken up. The AAI has issued a tender to close the gaps beneath the airport’s boundary wall. The tender involves civil engineering works including filling spaces under the plinth beam of the wall, along with strengthening measures to ensure no wildlife or domestic animals can enter the active runway zone.

The step comes in response to a long-standing safety concern. Over the years, multiple cases of wild and stray animals entering the runway have been reported, raising serious risks for flight operations.

In one such incident, two fox carcasses were found on the runway after the landing of the Udaipur-Surat flight in December 2019. The carcasses were disposed of by the airport authorities without notifying the Forest Department, which later issued a notice under the Wildlife Protection Act, pointing out that laid down procedures for animal disposal were ignored.

The airport authorities had declined to share the incident report into the recovery of the two fox carcasses under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Following this, the Forest Department carried out a detailed inspection of the airport’s perimeter along with AAI officials and strongly recommended that the gaps beneath the boundary wall be sealed. The department even offered assistance in the work, but for years the issue remained unattended.

The most alarming episode took place in 2014, when a buffalo collision with a SpiceJet aircraft occurred at Surat Airport. The incident was considered a unique case in world aviation history, severely damaging the reputation of the airport. SpiceJet suspended its services from Surat for a period after the mishap, underlining how critical the issue had become.

Now, with the tender floated for construction of watchtowers, road works, and—most crucially—closing the boundary wall gaps, authorities seem to have finally acknowledged the seriousness of the matter.

While the move has come late, aviation observers believe it marks a much-needed corrective step to improve operational safety and restore confidence in Surat Airport’s infrastructure management.