Odisha CM’s plane pushed manually for Vice-President’s landing

The aircraft which flew Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to Rourkela had to be manually pushed by security personnel on the airport to make way for Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s plane which had been given the same parking bay.

The security personnel were seen pushing the aircraft like a four-wheeler on the runway. Both had visited Rourkela to attend the opening ceremony of Grameen Hockey Championship of the state being held to mark the centenary celebrations of Biju Patnaik.

According to reports, the aircraft remained stationary on the runway after Naveen Patnaik deboarded the flight at around 11.15 am on Saturday. The pilot parked the plane on the Bay 1 runway and left to the lounge along with the co-pilot.

Moments later, the CISF personnel were seen hurriedly rushing to the aircraft to the apron raising much curiosity among the people present there. A plane carrying Vice President Hamid Ansari was to land at the airport at 11.45 am. The pilot reportedly asked the ATC to clear the aircraft from the runway as it was to land on the same strip.

Notably, the airstrip being a small one cannot accommodate many flights at a given time. Sources said that Ansari’s flight was to land on Bay 1. It was not known whether it was the callousness of the pilot of the aircraft who did not park the plane properly or there was lack of proper coordination.

As it is a small aircraft, it is nothing unusual to push a small plane for parking. There was no technical snag in the aircraft, airport sources said on conditions of anonymity.

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