If you’re planning
to fly to the Gujarat
city of Surat anytime
soon, perhaps you
should hold off until
the airport authorities
have sorted out
the animal situation.
The Surat airport,
as you might have heard, is quite popular with the buffaloes
and cows in the area. One of these buffaloes was
killed last month when it strayed onto the runway and
was hit by a SpiceJet plane attempting to take off.
Thankfully for the 170 passengers on board, the pilot
was able to bring the plane to a stop without anyone
getting hurt. The pilot deserves a lot of credit, especially
since it’s unclear whether he or she ever underwent any
training on how to handle animals on the runway.
Perhaps the final exam at flying school included
this multiple-choice question: What should you do if a
buffalo appears in the path of your aircraft? (A) Sound
the horn; (B) Attempt to avoid it by turning sharply in
any direction; (C) Apply the brakes; (D) Ask the co-pilot
to take over, because you’ve obviously been drinking if
you’re seeing a buffalo in your path.
You’ll be glad to know that officials from the
Airports Authority of India were quick to investigate
the buffalo accident. They visited Surat airport and
were immediately greeted by two cows grazing beside
the runway.
An airport parking attendant explained the cows’
presence to a Times of India reporter. “These stray cattle
enter from the main gate, graze in the grounds, and go
away,” he said. “Nobody drives them away.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
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