Bay 86

Air india and Ethiopian planes wingtip collides at Bay 86, T3... It was shocking going through what Nina Nanda Kapoor shared with this caption and following picture. Immediately, it came to mind when we attended many A320 flights at remote bay 86 and nearby.. very less space here between two bays and perhaps not advisable for big aircrafts. Those were our days of working at T2. Some of my colleagues confirmed it as same bay even after T3 became operational. As per my little knowledge, bay is allotted by airport authority's apron control, aircrafts' movement is controlled by ATC, Airlines Engineering personnel assist (marshalling) it's parking/pushback. Again, if earlier aircraft is wrongly parked someway, airport authority (now GMR) must be knowing it. They must have got it right way first, if so, before adjacent bay is allotted to others. An experienced colleague added: Although it's GMR's duty to allot bays. They have data of each and every aircraft like length, span etc. Bays are marked by keeping some distance, minimum 10 to 12 feet clearance between wing tips of both aircrafts. Actually it happened during push back. At that time ground staff must be there at wing tip to give signal to towing tractor operator and that control is not very precise as you are being pushed from nose wheel side. I am not sure but what l came to know that Ethiopian was being pushed back and our's was parked. But if Ethiopian was parked wrongly, then we should have a person at wing tip. Once Pilot starts engine, it is responsibility of that staff. He further added: One should be at wing tip which is under push back and notice other things like other aircraft, step ladder or some other equipment is not there. I don't know that in this case someone was there or not, but hopefully no one was there, otherwise he would have told TT operator to stop. In this case there is no control of Pilot. It is the duty of ground staff to ensure safe push back. (CMD was also quoted as saying: No one was at wing tip.) Soon it was known that our aircraft was correctly parked and Ethiopian was being pushed back (with not utmost care, we believe). A learned Captain friend too added: These Parking Area not meant for Long Wing Aircrafts. Carelessness of Airport Authority. Agree with your info. Yet if u see or what I experienced in india and abroad at International airports -- to accommodate larger wing aircraft, one aircraft space is left for larger wing aircraft. But it seems because of shortage of parking space this mistake took place. All from ATC to ground handlers of Airlines to be blamed.. When I asked if such damages are covered under insurance, a colleague replied: Yes. All damages are covered under Insurance. You have to make a claim after inquiry committee, DGCA & GMR's reports. Repair cost plus loss due grounding must be covered.

As nowhere above we are at fault, people still have a tendency to curse us as why such things are happened only with us (AI). More so, I feel hurt as this time some of our own group member commented such way. Only for this, I started this post. Sincere thanks to Capt Aziz Ahmad Siddiqui and Mr. Akhil Shukla.. दिल से!