By PTI
KOCHI: An air squadron of the Indian Navy based mostly right here carried out its maiden night time touchdown by Dornier plane on the Agatti airfield in Lakshadweep islands on Friday as a part of its efforts in direction of around the clock maritime surveillance and assist to the islands.
The night time time train was carried out by the Navy’s INAS 550 air squadron ” to reinvigorate and re-emphasise India’s maritime moorings” as a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to have fun the seventy fifth anniversary of Indian independence, a Defence launch mentioned on Friday.
The Agatti atoll, the place the lone airstrip of the island archipelago is situated, is about 460 km west of Kochi within the Arabian Sea, the discharge mentioned.
The airfield operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was inaugurated in April 1988 for operation of Dornier 228 plane, it mentioned and added that ATR 72 planes started operations from there in September 2010.
“However, owing to the short runway length and limited airfield services available, the operations of both civil airliners and military aircraft had been limited to day only,” it mentioned.
Under the aegis of the Indian Navy, the Southern Naval Command took the initiative to beat this limitation and in coordination with AAI and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the maiden night time touchdown was efficiently carried out, the discharge mentioned.
“As part of the trials, multiple approaches and landings were carried out from both sides of the runway to validate suitability for operations.”
“The successful night trials would pave the way for future operations of Dornier 228 aircraft from this airfield by night which will boost Indian Navy’s efforts towards round the clock maritime surveillance and support to the islands,” it mentioned.
KOCHI: An air squadron of the Indian Navy based mostly right here carried out its maiden night time touchdown by Dornier plane on the Agatti airfield in Lakshadweep islands on Friday as a part of its efforts in direction of around the clock maritime surveillance and assist to the islands.
The night time time train was carried out by the Navy’s INAS 550 air squadron ” to reinvigorate and re-emphasise India’s maritime moorings” as a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to have fun the seventy fifth anniversary of Indian independence, a Defence launch mentioned on Friday.
The Agatti atoll, the place the lone airstrip of the island archipelago is situated, is about 460 km west of Kochi within the Arabian Sea, the discharge mentioned.
The airfield operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was inaugurated in April 1988 for operation of Dornier 228 plane, it mentioned and added that ATR 72 planes started operations from there in September 2010.
“However, owing to the short runway length and limited airfield services available, the operations of both civil airliners and military aircraft had been limited to day only,” it mentioned.
Under the aegis of the Indian Navy, the Southern Naval Command took the initiative to beat this limitation and in coordination with AAI and Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the maiden night time touchdown was efficiently carried out, the discharge mentioned.
“As part of the trials, multiple approaches and landings were carried out from both sides of the runway to validate suitability for operations.”
“The successful night trials would pave the way for future operations of Dornier 228 aircraft from this airfield by night which will boost Indian Navy’s efforts towards round the clock maritime surveillance and support to the islands,” it mentioned.
