The latest plane crash in Nepal, resulting in 18 fatalities, has renewed concerns about the dangers posed by table-top runways, known for being the sites of several major aviation accidents worldwide. These runways are situated on elevated terrain with steep drops on one or more sides, leaving minimal room for pilot error and increasing the likelihood of a crash if a plane overshoots the runway.
India is home to five such table-top runways located at Shimla, Calicut, Mangalore, Lengpui (Mizoram), and Pakyong (Sikkim). Significant accidents have previously occurred at the table-top runways in Kerala and Mangalore. On May 22, 2010, Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai crashed on landing at Mangaluru, resulting in the deaths of 158 passengers, including six crew members. A decade later, on August 7, 2020, another tragic incident occurred when an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode skidded off the table-top runway, killing 19 passengers and both pilots, though 169 others survived.
To mitigate these risks, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducts regular reviews of table-top airports to enhance passenger safety. In 2022, a DGCA official stated that these reviews aim to prevent unforeseen incidents and find ways to make landings at these airports less hazardous.
Globally, table-top runways have been associated with catastrophic accidents. For instance, Portugal’s Madeira airport witnessed a tragic crash in 1977 when Air Portugal Flight 425 overshot the runway and crashed onto a beach, killing 131 people. Similarly, Nepal, known for its challenging air travel conditions, has experienced several accidents involving table-top runways. On May 27, 2017, a cargo plane crashed at the Tenzing-Hillary airport in Solukhumbu.
The recent crash involved a Bombardier CRJ 200 flight that skidded off the runway at Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu, bursting into flames. Tribhuvan airport, located on a plateau surrounded by deep gorges and valleys, is one of the most dangerous airports to land at. A significant crash occurred there in 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed, killing 167 passengers. The Saurya Airlines flight that crashed today was carrying crew and technical staff and was en route to Pokhara.
