Plane seconds from disaster raises new questions for Coventry Airport
25.02.06
A low-flying passenger jet over Warwickshire heading for Birmingham airportcould have resulted in a potential disaster, experts said yesterday. The incedent heightened public fears over the expansion of Coventry airport.
An Airbus A310, operated by Iranian passenger airline Mahan Air, was logged at 600ft - three times lower than required - above Warwickshire as it came into Birmingham Airport on Thriday. It was just six miles from the airport when air traffic control alerted the pilot. The aircraft had to do a go-around but landed safely at the second attempt.
Last night, experts praised the quick-thinking air traffic controllers for averting a crash in the busy airspace over Kenilworth, also used by planes from Coventry Airport. Opponents of the proposed increase in passenger operations at Coventry said it proved their fears were justified.
A spokeswoman for the Campaign Against Expansion at Coventry Airport said: 'Do we have to see a near miss or potential disaster turn into reality before people realise our concerns are real and justified? This is an area that is also used by Thomsonfly jets using Coventry and an incident like this is even more likely to have turned into a disaster if the airport is allowed to expand its operations and more planes are in the sky more often.'
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