Rajkot Airport Canopy Collapses Amid Heavy Rains

Amidst heavy rainfall in Gujarat, a section of the canopy at Rajkot Hirasar International Airport terminal collapsed on June 29. This incident marks the third airport infrastructure failure in India within a week, following similar occurrences at Delhi’s IGI Terminal-1 and Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur airport.

A viral video on social media captures the moment the canopy at the passenger pickup and drop area outside Rajkot airport terminal gave way. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported, according to officials.

The Rajkot Hirasar International Airport, a new greenfield project, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2023. Constructed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the airport is located 25 km from Rajkot in Hirasar village. This incident follows closely on the heels of a canopy collapse at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 28, where heavy rainfall caused the forecourt canopy at Terminal 1 to fall, resulting in one fatality and six injuries. Flight operations were temporarily suspended at the terminal. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu announced a compensation package of ₹20 lakh for the deceased’s family and ₹3 lakh for the injured.

Prior to these events, on June 27, heavy rains led to the collapse of a fabric canopy at Jabalpur’s Dumna airport, crushing a car parked below. While no injuries were reported, a probe was initiated, and strict measures were ordered to prevent recurrence, according to airport director Rajeev Ratna Pandey.

The collapse at Rajkot airport comes amid a cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat, which has brought widespread rainfall across the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a ‘yellow alert’ for south Gujarat, forecasting heavy showers on June 29. The IMD’s release indicated that the cyclonic circulation, extending up to 4.5 km above mean sea level, is expected to continue bringing heavy rains over the next five days. The IMD predicted heavy rains in isolated areas of Valsad, Navsari, and the adjoining Union Territory of Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli on June 29. Similar weather conditions are forecasted for Gandhinagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Anand, Navsari, and Valsad districts, as well as Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli on June 30, with the wet spell anticipated to persist until July 3.

The repeated infrastructure failures at major Indian airports underscore the need for stringent safety measures and robust construction practices, especially in the face of adverse weather conditions. The aviation authorities are likely to face increased scrutiny as they investigate these incidents and implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.