Kerala plane clash: DGCA bans wide-body aircraft at Kozhikode during monsoon

New Delhi, Aug 11: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has banned the operation of wide-body aircraft at Karipur airport during the monsoon season in the wake of the Air India Express (AIE) flight AXB 1344 overshooting the runway on Friday.

A Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight with 191 passengers on board overshot the runway at the Karipur airport. The plane veered off the runway and plunged into a valley while landing in heavy rains, the official said.

When asked about the duration of the ban, the aviation regulator said, "No date has been fixed. We will wait for the monsoon to get over and as a means of abundant caution we are doing it," according to news agency PTI.

A wide-body aircraft like B747 and A350 have a bigger fuel tank. It can travel longer distances than the narrow-body aircraft. It also needs a longer runway length to take off or land.