Civil Aviation Minister Says Congress Tweets On Plane Crash Not Based On Facts

Hardeep Singh Puri visited the site of the plane crash in which 18 people were killed. (File)

The airport in Kozhikode is equipped with runway end safety area as per the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today, while questioning various tweets by Congress MPs on the plane crash in which 18 people were killed.

"There was some excited tweeting by few members of Congress Party without fully being aware of the facts," said the minister.

"MP Ravneet Bittu did not know the difference between a narrow body aircraft and a wide bodied one yet he tweeted as an expert on the subject! He did well by deleting his tweet," Mr Puri said in a tweet.

The Ludhiana MP of Congress, Ravneet Singh Bittu, had alleged on Twitter on August 8 that "despite several red flags and 2015 ban on wide-body aircraft's landing at Kozhikode airport, Hardeep Singh Puri removed the ban in July 2019 leading to such a fatal crash and loss of lives".

The Air India Express plane that crashed on Friday night was a B737, which is a narrow body aircraft.

Mr Puri, in another tweet, said: "I am glad that my friend Shashi Tharoor has checked the facts and changed his tune yesterday. But MP Manickam Tagore stands out with his astounding lack of awareness. For starters, he wanted me to go to Kozhikode when I was already on my way!"

A fact check is recommended for individuals who for sake of media attention have made several statements on the Kozhikode tragedy in which 18 precious human lives were lost. These not just bordered on the irresponsible but were perhaps deliberately designed to be mischievous. pic.twitter.com/f15z1s1eYJ

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 10, 2020

The Union minister added; "Such was his (Manickam Tagore) desire for media attention that he did not study the basic facts before turning into an aviation security and protocol expert. Visits of ministers should be timed in a way that they do not hamper relief and rescue operations by professional agencies."

He said the airport in Kozhikode is equipped with Runway End Safety Area (RESA) as per guidelines on safety.

Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the airport in Kerala in heavy rain on Friday night, fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two, killing 18 people, including the pilots.