Chennai ATC denies permission for Union Minister Gadkari's helicopter flight

CHENNAI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, was forced to take a road journey from Maraimalai Nagar to Chennai airport after air traffic control (ATC) officials in Chennai denied permission for his private helicopter flight due to security regulations.

The incident occurred on Monday evening when the Minister's tightly packed schedule faced delays.

According to the original plan, Gadkari was to arrive at Chennai's old airport from Puducherry via a private aircraft at 2:20 pm. He was then scheduled to take a private helicopter to Maraimalai Nagar, near Ford factory, and proceed by car to a convocation ceremony at a private university. The return journey was to follow the same route, with the helicopter scheduled to bring him back to Chennai's old airport by 4:40 pm, from where he would depart for Nagpur at 5 pm.

However, the Minister's arrival from Puducherry was delayed, and he landed in Chennai only at 4:15 pm. After completing his engagements at the university, the convocation ceremony ran later than anticipated.

This delay meant that the helicopter's planned return flight from Maraimalai Nagar to Chennai would have taken place after 6:00 pm. As per civil aviation safety rules, helicopter flights are generally not permitted between 6:00 pm and 6 am for security reasons, a restriction that does not apply to defense aircraft.

Consequently, the Chennai ATC officials refused to grant permission for the Minister's helicopter flight. It is reported that the Minister's own security personnel also advised that road travel was the safer option at that hour.

Following the denial, Union Minister Gadkari departed from the private university by car around 6:00 pm and reached Chennai's old airport at approximately 6:50 pm. He subsequently departed for Nagpur on his private aircraft at 7 pm.