• The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has become the first airport in Asia to have a Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK) facility equipped with high-pressure lifting bags.

DARK Facility

• The DARK facility is designed to swiftly recover aircraft in the event of a “runway excursion”, which occurs when an aircraft unintentionally veers off or overruns the runway during take-off or landing.
• This scenario can be potentially dangerous that requires quick and precise intervention is crucial to ensure the safety of passengers, the aircraft, and airport operations.
• The use of high-pressure lifting bags in the DARK facility allows for more efficient aircraft recovery, significantly reducing the downtime and impact on travellers.
• In the past, the airport relied on conventional methods, which took longer and had a greater impact on airport operations.
• The CSMIA, which operates with a single crossover runway, can now leverage the DARK facility to expedite the movement and deployment of resources, thereby restoring runway operations while safeguarding the aircraft.
• With a maximum weight of 390 tonnes, DARK can quickly recover large commercial and transport aircraft including the world’s biggest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER, and others that may be involved in runway excursions or other incidents.
• The recovery process encompasses a meticulous sequence of steps, from ground preparations to aircraft lifting, de-bogging and towing, and the DARK’s compact design enhances its transportability, allowing rescuers to reach crash sites faster, so that disruptions in operations are minimised, especially as CSMIA has a single cross-over runway operation.

Source- Indian Express