Buffalo-hit: Surat airport director transferred to Assam

Ahmedabad: The Airports Authority of India has transferred Surat airport director SD Sharma to Leelabari airport in Assam, days after a Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight with 144 passengers onboard hit a stray buffalo on the runway, officials said today. “Surat Airport director SD Sharma has been transferred to Lilabari in Assam with the immediate effects by AAI,” Western Region general manager AAI, VSP Chinson told PTI.[caption id=“attachment_1799763” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The SpiceJet plane which hit a buffalo while proceeding for take-off in Surat on Thursday. PTI[/caption] On whether the decision was taken in wake of the buffalo-hit at Surat airport, Chinson refused to comment stating that the action was initiated from Delhi. On 6 November, a Surat-Delhi SpiceJet aircraft, SG 622, carrying over 140 passengers excluding crew members, hit a buffalo on the runway at Surat airport just few seconds before the take-off. Following this, SpiceJet authorities decided to suspend all its services from Surat airport considering the security lapse due to stray animal menace. The DGCA officials had also visited the Surat airport on 7 November to take stock of the situation there. Soon after, the Surat Municipal Corporation also swung into action after the incident and served notices to five cattle-hut owners outside the airport and also caught five stray buffaloes to prevent any eventuality. PTI