Bihar CM Nitish Kumar  has asked  Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh to postpone any step related to reducing aircraft operations from Patna airport.
In a letter, Kumar said the state government is fully conscious of the need for safe operation of aircrafts from Patna airport. “I have already directed the concerned authorities to take all necessary action as per law for removal of obstructions including pruning of trees in the vicinity of Patna airport,” he said, adding that most of the obstructions on state government’s land have already been removed. “I have been given to understand that all the remaining obstructions on the state government land would be removed within the coming week,” Kumar said.
On pruning of trees at the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, he said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already decided to reconsider the demand. “I would, therefore, request you to postpone any such action in view of the actions already taken by the state government. A detailed action taken report is separately being sent to DGCA,” the chief minister said.
Nitish said he invited Singh to come and himself see the situation as well as the compliance of the conditions put forth by the ministry, the DGCA and Airports Authority of India (AAI), including the pruning of trees at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park. Singh told him that a central team would visit Patna soon, he said.
Reacting to news reports about reducing the approach funnel of the airport, Nitish said, “It appears that the AAI has already decided to implement the proposed revised distance from August 16, which will considerably reduce aircraft operations from Patna airport and cause great inconvenience to everyone.” However, he asserted, “We have not received any official communication in this regard.”
The Union Civil Aviation minister had  stated that Patna airport had also been inspected by International Civil Aviation Organisation which found it unsuitable for operation of big aircraft like Airbus 320 and 737NG. The AAI had also written to the state government to prune about 3,000 trees at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park but no significant progress seems to have been made in this regard.