Birsa Munda Airport

Birsa Munda Airport बिरसा मुंडा हवाई अड्डा
IATA: IXR – ICAO: VERC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Ranchi
Location	Hinoo, Ranchi
Elevation AMSL	2,148 ft / 646 m
Coordinates	23°18′51″N 085°19′18″E / 23.31417°N 85.32167°E / 23.31417; 85.32167
Map
IXR Show map of Jharkhand IXR Show map of India Location of airport in India
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 13/31 2,713 8,901 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface m ft H1 19 63 Asphalt
Statistics (2014)
Passenger movements 581,700 Aircraft movements 7,612 Cargo tonnage 3,294
Source: AAI[1]

Birsa Munda Airport is a domestic airport serving the city Ranchi and is managed by Airports Authority of India. It is located in Hinoo locality, approximately 7 km (4.3 mi) from the centre of the city. It is the 37th busiest airport in India. Till 2005 it had only 2 flights a day operated by Indian Airlines. In 2005 Air Deccan Started operating to Kolkata, Patna, Raipur and Delhi making the total flights going up to 7 a day now daily 12 flights from different cities. It is named after an Indian tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

Terminals

There is only one integrated Terminal with facilities for travel desks, lounges, etc. was inaugurated on 24 March 2013 in a function attended by Mr. Ajit Singh, Minister of Civil Aviation, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh, Jharkhand governor Syed Ahmed, Ranchi MP Subodh Kant Sahay and Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu. In the next few days, the tax on ATF was reduced from 20% to 4% to attract more airlines to the city. Also, night landing at BMA has been made free so that there may be more flights to the metro cities in the morning.^[2] The Airports Authority of India also announced the construction of three more parking bays, thereby making it the first Tier-II airport in India to have 8 planned parking bays.^[3]

Airlines and destinations

Incidents and accidents

• On 19 October 2011, a Dhruv helicopter of Border Security Force departed from Birsa Munda Airport to Chaibasa, crashed into hills near Khunti, killing all occupants on board. Investigation concluded that pilot became spatially disoriented while solving a technical snag and applied excessive inputs to the helicopter while returning to the airport which resulted in severe rotor damage, causing the crash.^[4]
• On 9 May 2012, an AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter departed from Birsa Munda Airport to Kuchai Helipad, carrying the then Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda, crashed on the airport while executing an emergency landing after the helicopter developed problems with rudder control and returned to Birsa Munda Airport. All passengers and crew survived.^[5]
• On 27 August 2013, a tornado like phenomenon tore apart a section of the roof top of the new airport terminal and blew it away. It landed some 200 meters from the airport at a public place. The incident was localized to the airport only; no one was injured during this incident and no other structure was damaged.^[6]

References

External links

• Media related to Birsa Munda Airport at Wikimedia Commons
• Ranchi Airport at Airports Authority of India
• World Aero Data page for VERC
• Airport information for VERC: Birsa Munda Airport at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Accident history for IXR: Ranchi Airport at Aviation Safety Network